GENEVA (AP) 鈥� European nations agreed Thursday to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions to protest Gianni Infantino鈥檚 plan to to private equity investors.
鈥淯EFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions,鈥� the European soccer body said after an urgent online meeting of its 55 member nations.
The next scheduled FIFA tournament is within weeks in Europe 鈥� the Women鈥檚 Under-20 World Cup hosted by Poland from Sept. 5 鈥� and the four British federations comprise FIFA’s only bidder to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup. That decision is due Nov. 23.
鈥淪ome things are simply too important to sell,鈥� UEFA said in a statement. 鈥淭he FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.鈥�
The strategy meeting was called to counter FIFA President to each of FIFA’s 211 global members that has to be accepted by mid-September.
Infantino鈥檚 secret project was revealed Tuesday to spin off its commercial operations in a new $20 billion subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) 20% owned by private investors. The core investor would be a New York investment firm created by Joshua Kushner, the brother of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Infantino wrote Tuesday to the 211 members 鈥� already the effective owners of FIFA as a non-profit association under Swiss law 鈥� that if they approve FFE their promised $10 million basic funding for the next four years will double to $20 million. He projected their FIFA funding through 2038 would be $86 million each, instead of about $36 million.
鈥淭his is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA鈥檚 duty as the custodian of world football,鈥� said UEFA, where Infantino was a long-time staffer and its CEO-like general secretary when he was first elected to lead FIFA in 2016.
Infantino’s presidency at risk?
Infantino鈥檚 high-stakes financial gambit now could threaten his previously secure 11-year presidency of FIFA as anger and frustration with him rises among soccer stakeholders including three of the six continental bodies.
FIFA has set a Nov. 18 deadline for potential candidates to declare in a presidential vote of the 211 members scheduled next March in Rabat, Morocco.
Infantino had seemed 鈥� 11 days ago after the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey 鈥� to have a clear path to being re-elected unopposed for a fourth and final term in office through 2031, despite a against Belgium despite a red card in his previous game.
Soccer officials have said privately Infantino has eyed a lucrative commissioner-like role at the FFE spinoff beyond 2031.
鈥淕ame over, Gianni #InfantinOUT,鈥� the Football Supporters Europe group, which advises UEFA on fan issues such as ticket prices, posted after the boycott threat.
Soccer鈥檚 concern at investor pressure
UEFA detailed Thursday why soccer officials fear external investors owning a stake of the global game’s biggest events, including World Cups and Club World Cups for men and women.
鈥淭he moment external investors acquire ownership interests in FIFA competitions, football changes forever,鈥� UEFA said. 鈥淐ommercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure.鈥�
Infantino has presented the private equity offer as a chance to 鈥渢urbocharge鈥� funding development of soccer across the world, where a majority of the 211 FIFA members rely on its funding.
Officials from about 40 UEFA member spoke at the urgent meeting, with anger expressed that FIFA is not using some of its multi-billion reserves to fund extra development programs.
鈥淎s a result of today鈥檚 discussion, no UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive,鈥� the European soccer body said, 鈥渦nless 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.鈥�
Asia adds rare criticism of Infantino
On a seismic day in soccer politics, a traditional bedrock of support in Asia for FIFA and Infantino had earlier Thursday been shaken.
鈥淔IFA鈥檚 unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football,鈥� the Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said in a letter to its 46 members of FIFA, warning of risks to their own competitions.
Sheikh Salman, an ally to Infantino since losing the , wrote 鈥渟uch an initiative will not succeed without the support of all the confederations, which is not the case now.鈥�
In a video message published Wednesday by FIFA, Infantino insisted spinning off its money-making operations was 鈥渁n offer, not an obligation.鈥�
A FIFA presentation for its members, co-written with its banking advisors from J.P. Morgan and seen by the AP, set a goal for FFE as 鈥渃ommercial rigor and expertise to better capitalize on broadcast rights, sponsorships and a growing tournament portfolio.鈥�
FIFA squeeze on continental games
That growing portfolio likely would include adding more teams to FIFA competitions like the World Cup and Club World Cup for men and women, and potentially staging them more often than every four years, including in the U.S.
FIFA adding teams, games and competitions would squeeze the value, status and space in the for those that fund and are organized by the six continental soccer bodies like UEFA and the AFC. Those include World Cup qualifying games, continental tournaments and Champions Leagues.
鈥淚t is important that the AFC family has a complete understanding,鈥� Sheikh Salman wrote, 鈥渙f how such an initiative may affect key areas of global and Asian football, including the sustainability of confederation and (domestic) competitions, as well as the organization and commercial landscape surrounding the AFC鈥檚 activities.鈥�
UEFA’s previous boycott threat
A threatened helped derail Infantino鈥檚 plan in 2021 to play World Cups every two years instead of four.
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