UEFA Maintains Pressure on Infantino, Keeps World Cup Boycott Option Alive
UEFA has reaffirmed its loss of confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino, insisting that his decision to abandon the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal does not resolve the issues that triggered a global backlash.
In a strongly worded statement, European football’s governing body said FIFA had failed to meet the conditions it outlined after rejecting plans to open the commercial rights of the men’s and women’s World Cups to private investors.
The latest response comes despite FIFA acknowledging that mistakes were made during the handling of the proposal and apologising for the way the process unfolded. The world governing body withdrew the FFE plan following widespread opposition from several football stakeholders.
However, UEFA argued that simply abandoning the proposal was not enough to restore trust in FIFA’s leadership.
“First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again. These conditions have not been met,” UEFA said.
The European body also maintained that it has not changed its position on Infantino’s leadership, adding that recent developments within FIFA had done little to address the deeper concerns surrounding governance and accountability.
UEFA Says Confidence in FIFA Leadership Remains Lost
UEFA stressed that it continues to have no confidence in Infantino’s presidency, describing Wednesday’s events at FIFA headquarters as insufficient to answer the questions raised by the failed proposal.
“UEFA made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency. That position holds,” the statement read.
The governing body further dismissed the significance of FIFA’s internal discussions, adding: “Yesterday’s announcement that some people employed by the FIFA president, and whose careers depend on his favour, agree with him changes nothing.”
The criticism follows a meeting convened by Infantino with members of FIFA’s management team in Rabat, Morocco, where the organisation admitted errors had been made in the consultation process surrounding the FFE proposal. FIFA said it had not intended for its Council or member associations to feel excluded and accepted that the process should have been handled differently.
Despite the apology, UEFA believes several critical questions remain unanswered, including who was involved in developing the proposal, whether there was a competitive process for potential investors and whether appropriate governance procedures were followed before the plan was presented to member associations.
The controversy began after FIFA proposed creating the FIFA Forward Enterprise, a subsidiary that would oversee commercial rights linked to its flagship competitions. The plan included seeking private investment in tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, with member associations reportedly offered financial incentives in exchange for their support.
Boycott Threat Still Looms Over FIFA Competitions
UEFA’s continued opposition has kept alive the possibility of a European boycott of FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, should its concerns remain unresolved.
While no formal decision has been taken, the prospect remains one of the strongest tools available to Europe’s governing body as it seeks greater accountability from FIFA’s leadership.
The situation could soon be tested when the FIFA Women’s Under-20 World Cup begins in Poland next month, with six UEFA member nations expected to participate. Any escalation in the dispute would place significant attention on Europe’s relationship with world football’s governing body.
UEFA is also exploring other avenues to challenge Infantino’s leadership, including pushing for an extraordinary FIFA Congress or supporting a rival candidate in the next FIFA presidential election, scheduled for March 2027. However, either route would require substantial backing from FIFA’s 211 member associations, making success far from guaranteed.
For now, UEFA insists its position remains unchanged. It argues that withdrawing the FFE proposal addressed only one aspect of the controversy and that restoring confidence will require meaningful assurances, greater transparency and accountability from FIFA’s leadership.
With Infantino showing no indication that he intends to step aside, the standoff between FIFA and UEFA appears set to continue, raising fresh uncertainty over the governance of world football ahead of next year’s presidential election.
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