In a rebuke of FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, UEFA’s 55 member associations voted unanimously today to boycott future competitions by soccer’s global governing body, including the World Cup. The decision came in response to FIFA’s plan to sell private stakes in upcoming World Cup tournaments that sparked backlash from fans and soccer associations around the world.
“The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies,” UEFA, Europe’s soccer governing body, said in a statement. “No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale.”
The vote carries enormous weight with less than a year to go from the Women’s World Cup. On both the men’s and women’s side, six of the top 10 FIFA rankings are held by European teams, including reigning champions Spain. Their absence could prompt more of FIFA’s confederations to consider similar measures.
Catch up on all the latest from a wild day in global soccer:
• FIFA’s controversial proposal: FIFA announced plans on Tuesday to set up a new entity, valued at $20 billion, to control the commercial and operational sides of its competitions and open them to private investment. Soccer authorities criticized FIFA for a lack of consultation over the plan, and the main proposed investor group – headed by the brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump – also attracted scrutiny.
• Backlash from UEFA: As reports of the plan came out on Tuesday, Europe’s soccer body said it “crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross.” After FIFA released an outline of the proposal, UEFA followed up, writing that “FIFA cannot continue to use our sport to enrich themselves and their friends.” Today’s boycott escalated that messaging into a direct challenge to FIFA’s plan.
• The clock is ticking: Less than two weeks after the 2026 World Cup ended, UEFA’s boycott puts immediate pressure on FIFA to resolve the standoff before upcoming global competitions. The big one is the 2027 Women’s World Cup, which begins June 24 in Brazil next year, but the Under-20 Women’s World Cup and the Under-17 Men’s and Women’s World Cups will take place even sooner.
• A World Cup without Europe? UEFA also organizes the annual Champions League and the quadrennial European Championship, massive revenue generators for FIFA.
• FIFA’s other confederations: Other continental soccer bodies, including AFC in Asia and CONCACAF, which represents North and Central America and the Caribbean, had already expressed concerns about the investment plan. Following UEFA’s action, attention now turns to those groups to see whether they will follow suit or respond to FIFA’s plan in other ways.
• Another Infantino controversy: Gianni Infantino has been no stranger to scandal in his decade-plus-long reign as FIFA’s president. His close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin; controversy over Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers; and his flattery of Trump have shadowed over the three men’s World Cups held during his presidency. But as Infantino seeks reelection next March, backlash to his investment proposal and UEFA’s boycott could prove a uniquely steep challenge.
CNN’s Patrick Sung Cuadrado, Aleks Klosok and Billy Stockwell contributed reporting.
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