UEFA members vote to boycott FIFA if Infantino’s World Cup plans pursued

European football's governing body has taken a decisive stance against FIFA's proposed privatization of World Cup operations. In an urgent virtual meeting on Thursday, all 55 UEFA member federations voted unanimously to reject participation in any FIFA competition should the private equity plan move forward. The proposal, which emerged publicly on Tuesday, would spin off FIFA's commercial operations into a $20 billion entity with 20 percent ownership by private investors, including a venture capital firm led by Joshua Kushner. FIFA President Infantino has offered $20 million to each of the organization's 211 global members as an incentive, with acceptance required by mid-September.

UEFA's position is unequivocal. The organization stated that no European national teams will participate in FIFA competitions unless the proposal is completely abandoned and binding guarantees are provided against future private ownership of FIFA governance or competitions. UEFA emphasized that the World Cup represents a sporting legacy built over generations by players, teams, and supporters worldwide, and should not be treated as an investment product.

The dispute has drawn criticism from other continental football bodies. The Asian Football Confederation's president, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, condemned FIFA's lack of consultation as "totally unacceptable" and argued the move undermines existing continental structures. Infantino characterized the plan as a proposal rather than an obligation, though this distinction has done little to quell the backlash. The next FIFA competition scheduled is the Women's Under-20 World Cup in Poland beginning September 5.