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UEFA said Thursday it will boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions unless FIFA fully abandons its plan to sell stakes in a new commercial subsidiary to external investors, following a unanimous vote by the European body's 55 member associations.
"No UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership," UEFA said in a statement following a virtual meeting.
"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 statement noted.
UEFA said: "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."
FIFA announced Tuesday it plans to create a commercial subsidiary, valued at $20 billion, to run the World Cup and its other major events, offering external investors stakes of up to 20% while FIFA and member associations retain majority control.
FIFA hopes to raise up to $4.2 billion through the initiative, known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise.
If approved, the project could provide each of FIFA's 211 member associations a one-off payment of $20 million in early 2027, and increase their funding allocation for the 2027-2030 cycle from $8 million to $20 million.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the initiative Wednesday as a "golden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally."
UEFA said the proposal "was conceived in secret and brought to the brink of approval without any meaningful consultation with those entrusted with stewarding the game," calling this "not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA's duty as the custodian of world football."
UEFA characterized the process as an ultimatum to national federations: "accept the irreversible capture of football's greatest competitions or bear the consequences," adding: "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."
UEFA also raised concerns about the substance of the plan itself, not just the 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 on competition formats and every decision shaping the future of football is no longer driven by what best serves the game, but by what best serves shareholders."
UEFA said: "This model has no place in world football. Football's future cannot be dictated by the expectations of those whose first duty is to maximise financial return."
UEFA closed its statement: "Europe's position is clear. We will never lend this model our legitimacy. No one has the moral authority to sell what they merely hold in trust for the next generation... Some things are simply too important to sell. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale."
Sources reported that Infantino, 56, is preparing to lead the new subsidiary as a "commissioner" once his final term as FIFA president ends.
A spokesperson for England's Football Association backed UEFA's decision, saying the organization "stands shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues," according to Reuters.
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) separately criticized FIFA for announcing the plan without fully consulting member associations, while the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has called on its members to review the proposal, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin had already boycotted the World Cup final to signal his displeasure with FIFA, according to AFP.
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