Fifa World Cup: Uefa to boycott tournament if Gianni Infantino’s investment plans go through
In a statement issued after Thursday’s meeting held virtually and chaired by president Aleksander Ceferin, UEFA said it and its 55 member associations “are one body”.
“We unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA’s proposal to transfer property rights in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors,” the statement said.
On Wednesday, UEFA accused FIFA of using football “to enrich themselves and their friends”.
His statement on Thursday was even more condemning, saying it was “irresponsible and indefensible that such a significant proposal for football has been designed in secret and without meaningful consultation” with those who govern the game.
The statement said: “This is not only a profound failure of leadership, but also an abdication by FIFA of its duty as the guardian of world football.
“National associations around the world are now presented with an ultimatum: accept the irreversible takeover of football’s biggest competitions or suffer the consequences.
“This is not a ‘democratic decision’, it is management through intimidation; it is an act of pressure that does not suit an institution charged with the management of the global game.”
Although UEFA accounts for only a quarter of FIFA’s members, it includes many of the world’s most successful teams.
At this summer’s World Cup, six of the quarter-finalists (including winner Spain) were European. In the 2022 and 2018 editions, the figures were five and six respectively.
European countries have won 13 of the 23 World Cups held to date.
