GENEVA (AP) — FIFA President Gianni Infantino's proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors has led UEFA members to announce a boycott of all FIFA competitions. This decision was made during an urgent online meeting of UEFA's 55 member nations. UEFA stated, "UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions." The next FIFA tournament is the Women’s Under-20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in Poland starting September 5.
UEFA emphasized the importance of the World Cup, declaring, "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." The meeting was convened to address Infantino's offer of $20 million to each of FIFA's 211 member associations, which must be accepted by mid-September.
Infantino's plan involves creating a new subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would be 20% owned by private investors. The core investor is a New York investment firm associated with Joshua Kushner. Infantino has proposed that if the FFE is approved, the basic funding for FIFA members would increase from $10 million to $20 million over the next four years, with projections suggesting funding could reach $86 million by 2038.
UEFA criticized this move, stating it represents a failure of leadership and an abdication of FIFA's duty as the custodian of world football. Infantino's financial strategy may jeopardize his presidency, as dissatisfaction grows among soccer stakeholders, including three of the six continental bodies. FIFA has set a deadline of November 18 for candidates to declare for the presidential vote scheduled for March in Rabat, Morocco.
Concerns about investor influence on soccer were voiced during the meeting, with UEFA warning that external ownership could fundamentally change the nature of football. UEFA stated, "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 concluded that no national teams would participate in FIFA competitions as long as the private investment proposals remain active, unless they are completely abandoned and assurances are provided against future private ownership of FIFA governance or competitions.