RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 16 sourcesUefa has announced that it will stage a full boycott of Fifa competitions, including the World Cup, if Gianni Infantino ’s controversial plans to sell off stakes in its tournaments to private investors are voted through.
The drastic action, which follows an emergency Uefa meeting on Thursday, was “unanimously” agreed among all 55 of Uefa’s member associations. A statement confirmed that “no Uefa national teams will participate in any Fifa competition for so long as these proposals remain alive”.
Donald Trump, President of the United States, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino with the World Cup trophy (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)
World Cup boycott latest: Uefa agree emergency action after Infantino sell-off plan
Uefa carries significant leverage as a World Cup without major nations such as champions Spain, France, England and Germany would compromise Infantino’s designs on extracting as much revenue from the global showpiece as possible. Six of the eight quarter-finalists from this summer’s World Cup were European.
It would also harm next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with Spain the reigning winners and European champions England also bringing considerable commercial interest in the tournament. England, runners-up at the 2023 World Cup, face two-legged qualification play-offs in October, as do Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
A spokeswoman for the English FA echoed the Uefa sentiment, saying: “We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues and fully support the collective view. We oppose Fifa’s plans – the Fifa World Cup belongs to football and always will.”
Meanwhile, the majority of the 2030 World Cup will be staged in Europe, with Spain and Portugal sharing hosting rights along with Morocco, following games in South America hosted by Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to commemorate the tournament’s centenary year.
On Tuesday, Fifa revealed plans to create a new $20bn subsidiary, 20 per cent owned by private investors, to manage the commercial rights and delivery of the World Cup and other major tournaments. Thrive Eternal, led Joshua Kushner , the brother of US president Donald Trump ’s son-in-law Jared Kushner , are set to lead the new investment.
“This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of Fifa’s duty as the custodian of world football,” Uefa said. “The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in Fifa competitions, football changes forever. Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure.”
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has gone to war with Fifa president Gianni Infantino (Reuters)
In a letter to the member associations, Infantino promised that national federations would benefit from an increase of its ‘Fifa Forward’ funding from around $8m to $20m for the upcoming four-year cycle between 2027 and 2031 if the new FFE subsidiary is created.
Additionally, the letter states that a “one-off” payment of another $20m would be made available for member associations who vote for Infantino’s proposals on 19 September. Member associations are then warned that their funding for the 2027-2031 cycle would only stand at $10m if the vote does not pass, meaning they would miss out on $30m.
Uefa’s statement added: “National associations around the world are now presented with an ultimatum: accept the irreversible capture of football’s greatest competitions or bear the consequences. This is not a ‘democratic decision’, but governance by intimidation – an act of coercion unworthy of an institution entrusted with the stewardship of the global game.”
Many of the world’s smaller countries, especially those outside of Europe, are more dependent on funding from Fifa to run their national teams, develop long-term grassroots projects and and invest in infrastructure, like pitches, academies and stadiums. Before this year’s World Cup, Infantino claimed that “without Fifa, there would be no football in 150 countries in the world”
Uefa’s confirmation that it would stage a boycott comes ahead of a vote between Fifa’s 211 member associations on 19 September. Infantino’s proposals only require a majority vote of above 50 per cent from as well as backing from the Fifa Council, which means Uefa still requires more support from another federation, such as North America or Asia, to have a chance at winning the vote and avoiding a boycott.
Uefa’s statement in full
“Uefa and its 55 member associations stand as one. We unanimously and unequivocally reject Fifa’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other Fifa competitions to private investors.
“The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies. It has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale.
“It is both irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such significance for football was conceived in secret and brought to the brink of approval without any meaningful consultation with those entrusted with stewarding the game. This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of Fifa’s duty as the custodian of world football.
“National associations around the world are now presented with an ultimatum: accept the irreversible capture of football’s greatest competitions or bear the consequences. This is not a ‘democratic decision’, but governance by intimidation – an act of coercion unworthy of an institution entrusted with the stewardship of the global game.
“But our opposition goes far beyond process.
“The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in Fifa competitions, football changes forever. Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure. From that moment onwards, every decision on the international calendar, every decision...
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