European football associations have agreed to boycott FIFA competitions if president Gianni Infantino proceeds with plans to open parts of the World Cup to US-based private investment.
All 55 Uefa member associations backed the position during an emergency meeting on Thursday, declaring that they “unanimously and unequivocally reject” the proposal.
The meeting, which lasted almost two hours, produced a united stance despite earlier concerns that some smaller associations could be persuaded to support the plan because of the potential financial benefits.
European football authorities are now expected to formally notify FIFA of their position, warning that their national teams will withdraw from future FIFA tournaments unless the proposal is scrapped.
The intervention places significant pressure on Infantino, with countries having previously been given until September 19 to sign up to the scheme. FIFA could now face demands to substantially revise the plan or abandon it altogether.
The dispute also comes ahead of next March’s FIFA presidential election. Although most European associations had previously submitted letters supporting Infantino’s re-election, Uefa’s collective opposition to the proposal represents a significant challenge to his leadership.
Uefa confirmed the boycott threat 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,” it read.
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin opened Thursday’s emergency meeting, with executive committee members and the organisation’s representatives on the FIFA Council also addressing delegates.
Their remarks are understood to have established the direction of the discussions before around 20 national association leaders spoke. Sources described a strong sense of “unity” among those attending.
FA president Debbie Hewitt was among those who addressed the meeting, with one attendee describing her intervention in support of a boycott as “very tough”.
An FA spokesperson later reinforced England’s position, saying: “We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues and fully support the collective view. We oppose FIFA’s plans – the FIFA World Cup belongs to football and always will.”
Under Uefa’s proposed action, the first senior competition affected would be next year’s Women’s World Cup. At youth level, the Under-20 Women’s World Cup could become the first FIFA tournament to face a European boycott.
The competition is scheduled to begin in Poland on September 5, with six of the 24 participating teams, including England, representing Uefa nations.
England’s women are also scheduled to face Greece in a two-legged World Cup qualifying playoff in October, potentially creating an early test of the FA’s commitment should the dispute remain unresolved.
Uefa has also urged football associations outside Europe to oppose the proposal, with officials understood to believe that several Asian countries share similar concerns.
Such opposition could become increasingly significant for Infantino, whose strongest support has traditionally come from outside Europe.
“National associations around the world are now presented with an ultimatum: accept the irreversible capture of football’s greatest competitions or bear the consequences,” Uefa said.
“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.”
The dispute could also reshape next year’s FIFA presidential election. Sources within European football believe Uefa’s position has increased the possibility of a Europe-backed challenger standing against Infantino, who had previously been expected to secure another term without serious opposition.
Concacaf, the governing body for football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, has also unanimously rejected the proposal following an emergency meeting chaired by president Victor Montagliani.
Montagliani, who has been viewed as a potential future successor to Infantino, stopped short of announcing a boycott similar to Uefa’s.
However, a majority of Concacaf’s 41 members are understood to have growing concerns over Infantino’s leadership, potentially leaving the FIFA president facing one of the most serious challenges to his authority since taking office in 2016.
Several European associations have also reportedly discussed the issue with their national governments, with a number of political leaders privately supporting the prospect of a boycott.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham became the first political leader to publicly criticise the proposal on Tuesday evening, writing on X that the World Cup “was never anyone’s to sell”.
“This is a principled decision that we strongly support. Football belongs to the fans, not billionaire investors. Enough is enough. It’s time to take a stand to protect our game.”
