UEFA confirms intention to boycott World Cup and all FIFA competitions amid Gianni Infantino spin-off plan
Updated 30/07/2026 at 20:48 GMT+1
React to this story
UEFA confirmed its intention to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions in light of Gianni Infantino's proposal to allow private investment in major competitions. European football's body held an emergency meeting of its member associations on Thursday.
Ancelotti urges FIFA not to ‘ruin’ World Cup after committing future to Brazil
Video credit: SNTV
All 55 UEFA nations unanimously agreed to boycott the tournament and other competitions, including the Club World Cup, should Infantino's plan become a reality.
The development means that FIFA president Infantino now faces an uphill battle to implement a change that UEFA had previously claimed was "governance by intimidation".
UEFA provided six of the eight quarter-finalists at the 2026 World Cup, where Spain ended up defeating Argentina in the final. Thirteen of the 23 World Cups have been won by European nations.
”UEFA and its 55 member associations stand as one," it said in a statement. ”We unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA's proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors.
”The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies. It has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale.
”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.”
- FA 'deeply concerned' by Infantino's World Cup investment plans
- FIFA open disciplinary case against Argentina over World Cup conduct
- Download the TNT Sports app on iPhone and Android
As first reported by The Times, Infantino is attempting to create a commercial subsidiary to run FIFA's biggest events with external investors being lined up. He has written to all 211 of FIFA's member associations, promising £30m if they supported the idea.
In a statement, FIFA said that it was planning to "invite third parties to make minority, non-controlling investments" in FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to "consolidate" its commercial operations.
An initial deadline of September 19 was set by Infantino for national associations to approve his plan.
In response to the UEFA decision, a Football Association spokesperson said: ”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."
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/07/21/image-e69d0dcb-baf6-4c2f-b11d-5370f81fba2d-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
'Vamos Espana' - Spain celebrate 2026 FIFA World Cup triumph in Madrid
Video credit: SNTV
Scotland's FA said "agrees unequivocally with the concerns raised by all members over the manner in which these proposals have been issued, and deadline set, without a full consultation process or consideration to good governance."
In an earlier statement UEFA said: "This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA's duty as the custodian of world football.
"National associations around the world are now presented with an ultimatum: accept the irreversible capture of football's greatest competitions or bear the consequences.
"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."
CONCACAF rejects FIFA proposal
While UEFA has voiced strong opposition to FIFA's proposals, other continental confederations have also raised concerns over the way the plans were introduced and communicated.
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) had initially criticised FIFA for what it described as a lack of consultation, claiming it only became aware of the proposals through public reports before receiving official communication.
In a further development on Thursday, CONCACAF released a statement which firmly rejected the proposal, stating that all 41 of its members had held a meeting and agreed on the position.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/07/30/image-3cb917c1-ac3b-44cc-905b-8ed429f3df93.jpeg)
Aleksander Ceferin has been very critical of Gianni Infantino's proposals
Image credit: Getty Images
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also expressed frustration, stating that discussions over a matter of such importance should have taken place through established governance channels before becoming public.
The AFC said it was "disappointed that a matter of such significance entered the public domain before the AFC family had been afforded the opportunity to examine and discuss it through the appropriate and established governance channels."
The Confederation of African Football (CAF), meanwhile, confirmed its participation in the consultation process but stopped short of taking a definitive position, encouraging its member associations to review the proposals independently.
CAF said it was "encourag(ing) its Member Associations to examine" the plans as FIFA continues discussions over the proposed changes.
Add TNT Sports as a preferred source here to enjoy more content like this.
Stream the Premier League, men’s and women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more live on TNT Sports and HBO Max
Advertisement
Advertisement