‘Football is not for sale’: Uefa confirms boycott of World Cup and Fifa competitions
· Yahoo Sports
Uefa has announced that it will stage a full boycott of Fifa competitions, including the World Cup, if Gianni Infantino’s controversial plans to sell off stakes in its tournaments to private investors are voted through.
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The drastic action, which follows an emergency Uefa meeting on Thursday, was “unanimously” agreed among all 55 of Uefa’s member associations. A statement confirmed that “no Uefa national teams will participate in any Fifa competition for so long as these proposals remain alive”.
Donald Trump, President of the United States, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino with the World Cup trophy (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)Uefa carries significant leverage as a World Cup without major nations such as champions Spain, France, England and Germany would compromise Infantino’s designs on extracting as much revenue from the global showpiece as possible. Six of the eight quarter-finalists from this summer’s World Cup were European.
It would also harm next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with Spain the reigning winners and European champions England also bringing considerable commercial interest in the tournament. England, runners-up at the 2023 World Cup, face two-legged qualification play-offs in October, as do Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
A spokeswoman for the English FA echoed the Uefa sentiment, saying: “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.”
Meanwhile, the majority of the 2030 World Cup will be staged in Europe, with Spain and Portugal sharing hosting rights along with Morocco, following games in South America hosted by Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to commemorate the tournament’s centenary year.
On Tuesday, Fifa revealed plans to create a new subsidiary to manage the commercial rights and delivery of the World Cup and other major tournaments, with Fifa president Infantino confirming that the new company - ‘Fifa Forward Enterprises (FFE)’ - would be open to external capital investment.
Uefa’s confirmation that it would stage a boycott comes ahead of a vote between Fifa’s 211 member associations on 19 September. Infantino’s proposals only require a majority vote of above 50 per cent from as well as backing from the Fifa Council, which means Uefa still requires more support to win the vote.
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Uefa’s statement in full
“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.
“It is both irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such significance 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.
“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.
“But our opposition goes far beyond process.
“The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in Fifa competitions, football changes forever. Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure. From that moment onwards, 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.
“This model has no place in world football. Football’s future cannot be dictated by the expectations of those whose first duty is to maximise financial return. Nor can the interests of national associations, leagues, clubs, players and supporters become subordinate to investor returns. Football cannot mortgage its future for financial gain.
“Europe’s position is clear. We will never lend this model our legitimacy. No one has the moral authority to sell what they merely hold in trust for the next generation.
“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.
“Nobody should be in any doubt: Uefa and its national associations will oppose these plans with absolute determination.
“There are moments when institutions are judged not by what they are prepared to accept, but by what they refuse to compromise. This is one of those moments.
“Some things are simply too important to sell. The Fifa World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”