UEFA and all 55 of its national member associations voted unanimously to boycott every FIFA tournament until FIFA president Gianni Infantino abandons a proposal to sell minority stakes in the World Cup to private investors. The decision, taken during an emergency virtual meeting on Thursday, means European teams would refuse to participate in any FIFA competition — including next summer's Women's World Cup in Brazil and the 2030 men's tournament in Spain, Portugal and Morocco — unless the plan is fully withdrawn with legally binding guarantees.
Infantino's proposal would create a semi-private subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise, valued at $20 billion, selling up to 21 percent to raise roughly $4.2 billion for distribution to national associations. FIFA has set a September 19 deadline for approval, and Jared Kushner's family has been named among potential investors.
The backlash extends beyond Europe. CONCACAF convened its 41 members expressing deep concerns, while the Asian Football Confederation and Confederation of African Football voiced dismay at learning of the plan through media. German federation president Bernd Neuendorf called the proposals unacceptable.