FIFA World Cup: UEFA says it will boycott tournament over $20 billion investor plan
UEFA, the Union of European Football Association, says it will boycott the FIFA World Cup if plans to sell a stake in the tournament go through.
The backstory:
On Tuesday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino's secret proposal was revealed Tuesday to spin off its commercial operations in a new $20 billion subsidiary 20% owned by private investors. The core investor would be a New York investment firm created by Joshua Kushner, the brother of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino holds the trophy at full-time following the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasi
Infantino has presented the private equity offer as a chance to "turbocharge" funding development of soccer across the world, where a majority of the 211 FIFA members rely on its funding.
Infantino wrote Tuesday to the 211 members — already the effective owners of FIFA as a non-profit association under Swiss law — that if they approve FFE their promised $10 million basic funding for the next four years will double to $20 million. He projected their FIFA funding through 2038 would be $86 million each, instead of about $36 million.
Is Gianni Infantino's FIFA presidency at risk?
Infantino’s plan to sell a stake in the tournament could threaten his previously secured 11-year presidency of FIFA as anger and frustration with him rises among soccer stakeholders including three of the six continental bodies.
FIFA has set a Nov. 18 deadline for potential candidates to declare in a presidential vote of the 211 members scheduled next March in Rabat, Morocco.
Infantino had seemed to have a clear path to being re-elected unopposed for a fourth and final term in office through 2031, after the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey despite the pushback over letting United States forward Folarin Balogun play against Belgium despite a red card in his previous game.
Soccer officials have said privately Infantino has eyed a lucrative commissioner-like role at the FFE spinoff beyond 2031.
"Game over, Gianni #InfantinOUT," the Football Supporters Europe group, which advises UEFA on fan issues such as ticket prices, posted after the boycott threat.
What they're saying:
UEFA released a statement Thursday, saying:
"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."
UEFA says none of its 55 teams will participate in any FIFA competition while the proposal remains in play and will not compete until the proposal is abandoned.
The following countries are members of UEFA:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- England
- Estonia
- Faroe Islands
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Israel
- Italy
- Kazakhstan
- Kosovo
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Northern Ireland
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Republic of Ireland
- Romania
- Russia
- San Marino
- Scotland
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
- Wales
What we don't know:
Next year, the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup takes place in Brazil and the stance by UEFA over FIFA's plans to sell minority stakes in the organization could impact the tournament.
The Source: This article includes information from the Union of European Football Association and the Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.