BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-All 55 member associations of UEFA have unanimously voted to boycott FIFA competitions if world football’s governing body proceeds with plans to sell shares linked to its major tournaments to private investors.
According to a statement released after UEFA’s emergency meeting on Thursday, the European football body rejected FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s proposal, saying the World Cup and other FIFA competitions should never become commercial investment assets.
UEFA described the plan as a threat to the integrity and governance of the global game.
The emergency meeting was convened following FIFA’s announcement earlier this week that it intends to establish a new commercial company, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) and sell a minority stake to private investors to raise billions of dollars for football development.
UEFA argued that football’s biggest tournaments belong to players, supporters and national associations, insisting that no part of the World Cup should be sold to private investors for financial gain.
If FIFA pushes ahead with the proposal, all European national teams would withdraw from FIFA competitions including the FIFA Men’s World Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup and other international tournaments.
The boycott would affect some of football’s biggest nations including England, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, significantly reducing the competitiveness and commercial value of FIFA competitions.
Reports indicate that FIFA has given its 211 member associations 53 days to decide whether to support the proposal Associations that approve the plan would receive up to US$40 million in funding, while those rejecting it would receive around US$10 million.
UEFA leaders have criticised the proposal as lacking transparency, arguing that such a significant decision should have involved broad consultation with football stakeholders before being presented to member associations.
The European body also warned that allowing private investors to own a stake in football’s premier competitions could undermine the sport’s independence and shift priorities from sporting values to profit.
FIFA, however, maintains that the proposal would not transfer control of football competitions to investors, saying the governing body would retain authority over governance, tournament organisation and sporting decisions.
The standoff has created one of the biggest governance disputes in modern football, with UEFA insisting that the World Cup is “not for sale” and urging FIFA to reconsider its plans before irreversible decisions are made.
The proposed boycott is expected to be tested later this year during the FIFA Women’s World Cup, where European nations could refuse to participate if the dispute remains unresolved.
