UEFA and its 55 European member nations voted unanimously on Thursday to boycott the World Cup and all FIFA tournaments in protest at world soccer’s governing body’s plan to sell a stake to external investors.
The dramatic move came after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) issued a scathing letter to the continent’s 47 member associations and warned the proposal would never succeed without the support of all of football’s regional blocs.
“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,” UEFA said in a statement.
“As a result of today’s discussion, 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.”
European soccer’s ruling body said the World Cup was not for sale and could not be treated as an investment product or surrendered to private investors.
“This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the custodian of world football,” it said of the proposal.
“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.”
AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa said his body was not consulted by FIFA at any level prior to the public announcement and declared that, and the lack of any detailed governance, financial or legal analysis of the proposal, as “totally unacceptable”.
“FIFA’s unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of Continental football, which are based on solidarity, cooperation and transparency,” added the Bahraini.
The AFC’s forthright criticism heaps further pressure on FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has spearheaded the contentious plan to create a $20 billion subsidiary to run the World Cup and its other events, while offering minority stakes to private investors.
CONCACAF, the regional bloc for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, also criticised FIFA for a lack of consultation.
Infantino offered FIFA’s 211 member associations $40 million each if they agree to the proposal by September 19 as part of a $10 billion package to become available from January 1, 2027.
If rejected, the package would revert to $2.7 billion previously offered, around $10 million per member association.
Infantino said FIFA will put the proposal to a vote by its member associations (MAs) and then to its executive Council.
