UEFA members vote to boycott FIFA if Infantino’s World Cup plans pursued
European nations agree in virtual meeting to boycott FIFA competitions in protest at private equity plan for World Cup. European football’s governing body, UEFA, has
European nations agree in virtual meeting to boycott FIFA competitions in protest at private equity plan for World Cup. European football’s governing body, UEFA, has voted to boycott FIFA events – including the World Cup – if FIFA proceeds with plans to sell stakes in a new commercial subsidiary to private investors. The unanimous vote by UEFA member federations agreed on Thursday to boycott all FIFA competitions in protest against Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup. “UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions,” the European football body said after an urgent online meeting of its 55 members. The strategy meeting was called to counter FIFA President Infantino’s offer of $20m to each of its 211 global members, which must be accepted by mid-September. Infantino’s secret proposal was revealed on Tuesday to spin off its commercial operations in a $20bn operation, with 20 percent owned by private investors. The core investor would be a New York venture capital investment firm created by Joshua Kushner, the brother of US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. What did UEFA’s statement say after FIFA boycott vote? “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. “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.” The next FIFA competition is in Europe, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, hosted by Poland from September 5. FIFA has been contacted by Al Jazeera for a response to UEFA’s vote. What has been said elsewhere about FIFA’s World Cup plan? Earlier on Thursday, Infantino called the plan to sell stakes in the World Cup a proposal but “not an obligation” after the idea provoked a furious response from football authorities around the globe. Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa branded FIFA’s lack of consultation over its plan as “totally unacceptable”, saying the move undermined the sport’s existing continental structure. FIFA President Sepp Blatter slammed the football governing body’s plans, saying the tournament was not a commercial asset that belonged to a few executives. “Football belongs to no individual and to no institution. It belongs to the people,” Blatter told the news agency Reuters on Wednesday. Britain’s culture minister, Lisa Nandy, on Thursday backed UEFA’s decision. “This is a principled decision that we strongly support,” Nandy said in a statement. “Football belongs to the fans, not billionaire investors. Enough is enough. It’s time to take a stand to protect our game.” Her words came after United Kingdom Prime Minister Andy Burnham took to X on Tuesday with an immediate response to the proposals. “Let me say this very directly. Football does not belong to investors. It belongs to the people who fill the stands and who stand on the touchline week in, week out, rain or shine,” Burnham said. “The World Cup is not a product.
The BriefWire