Europe’s governing soccer body, UEFA, said its 55 members have unanimously voted to boycott the World Cup in protest of FIFA’s plans to sell stakes to external investors, saying the sport’s biggest competition is “not for sale.”
Under the proposal, FIFA would establish FIFA Forward Enterprise to oversee “commercial and event operations.”
In a strongly-worded statement released on Thursday, Europe’s governing body said, “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.”
“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.”
UEFA added that it was both “irresponsible and indefensible” that such a significant proposal for football was “conceived in secret and brought to the brink of approval without any meaningful consultation with those entrusted with stewarding the game.”
“This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the custodian of world football,” the statement said.
2030 Contest Co-Hosted in Europe
The next World Cup is due to be held in 2030, with three countries co-hosting, including two European nations, Spain and Portugal. The third host is the North African nation of Morocco.
The recent 48-team World Cup, held by FIFA across the United States, Canada, and Mexico and won by Spain, was the largest in the tournament’s history.
Under the proposals, FIFA would retain control of the enterprise, but offer minority stakes to private investors, raising up to $4.2 billion.
Thrive Eternal, a vehicle founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, is expected to lead the proposed investor group, according to FIFA.
UEFA Criticism
UEFA’s statement said that FIFA’s announcement was not a “democratic decision,” but “governance by intimidation,” and branded the decision “an act of coercion unworthy of an institution entrusted with the stewardship of the global game.”
UEFA added that its opposition went “far beyond process,” saying the implications of FIFA’s plans would “change football forever.”
UEFA said that under FIFA’s commercial proposal, “Every decision on the international calendar, every decision on competition formats and every decision shaping the future of football is no longer driven by what best serves the game, but by what best serves shareholders.”
Founded in 1904 and representing 211 member associations, including the 55 in UEFA, FIFA is one of the world’s wealthiest sporting organizations, generating billions of dollars in revenue from broadcasting rights, sponsorship, and other commercial deals linked to the World Cup.
It says its proposal can increase the funds it provides to widen access to the sport and strengthen global participation, with all net benefits to be reinvested in the game.
UEFA, which is headed up by Slovenian lawyer Aleksander Ceferin, said that FIFA’s proposed model “has no place in world football” and that the future of the sport “cannot be dictated by the expectations of those whose first duty is to maximize financial return.”
The statement said that the interests of national associations, leagues, clubs, players, and supporters must not become “subordinate to investor returns,” adding that, “Football cannot mortgage its future for financial gain.”
UEFA said it would “never” support the proposal, and that no one “has the moral authority to sell what they merely hold in trust for the next generation.”
None of UEFA’s national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as the proposals “remain alive,” with the statement demanding they are abandoned entirely. UEFA said that “binding assurances” must be given that FIFA will “never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership.”
‘Greatest Competition in World Sport’
The English Football Association backed the decision, saying on X that the organization “stands shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues.”
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter also criticized the deal.
“The close relationship between the FIFA president and the U.S. president has reached a financial dimension that is deeply damaging football,” Blatter wrote in a post on X on July 28. “No one has the right to sell our game.”
The Asian Football Confederation and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football also strongly criticized FIFA, saying they were not consulted in the process.
The Women’s World Cup is set to be held in Brazil next year, with FIFA due to stage the first Under-15 World Cup in Azerbaijan in October.
Infantino’s plans were first reported by The Times of London and the Financial Times. He is standing for reelection as FIFA president in March 2027 and is widely expected to remain in the post, having gained the endorsement of more than 200 football associations.
Since Infantino took over the top job in 2016, FIFA has increased revenue for the development of the sport in Africa, Asia, and South America, where he garners most of his support.
Total attendance at this year’s World Cup exceeded 6.6 million, surpassing the combined attendance of the 2018 and 2022 events, which totaled more than 6.4 million, according to FIFA.
Trump hailed the event as “one of the all-time greatest sporting events in history.”
‘Unleash the Commercial Potential’
In a speech in New York, on the eve of the World Cup final, Infantino said he intended to “unleash the commercial potential and opportunity that FIFA has” to make more money.
“As its global governing body, FIFA is responsible for making sure the game reaches every corner of the world, and that the value it creates supports federations and communities everywhere,” Infantino said.
“Our next stage of growth needs a structure built for it, one where the commercial side of the game operates as a focused, dedicated business, with its value shared more and better all around the world.”
