UEFA members to boycott FIFA competitions in protest of World Cup private investors plan

Key Points:

• UEFA has announced a boycott of all FIFA competitions in protest against FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors, stating that the World Cup "belongs to football" and must never be for sale.
• Infantino proposed creating a $20 billion subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), with 20% ownership by private investors, offering $20 million to each of FIFA’s 211 members if they approve the plan by mid-September, doubling their usual funding.
• UEFA criticized Infantino’s plan as a failure of leadership and an abdication of FIFA’s duty, warning that external investor ownership would shift the focus to commercial returns and put constant pressure on the sport.
• The boycott and backlash could threaten Infantino’s previously secure bid for a fourth FIFA presidential term in 2027, with growing opposition from UEFA and other continental soccer bodies.
• UEFA demands the complete abandonment of the private equity proposal and binding assurances that FIFA competitions will never be opened to private ownership, or else its national teams will continue to boycott FIFA events.