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UEFA Threatens FIFA Boycott Over $4.2bn Private Investment Plan
European football governing body, UEFA, has threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, if the global football body proceeds with plans to sell a stake in its commercial operations to private investors.
The warning followed an emergency meeting of UEFA on Thursday, during which the organisation, representing 55 of FIFA’s 211 member associations, described the proposal as “irresponsible and indefensible,” accusing FIFA of advancing the plan without consulting its member nations.
FIFA on Tuesday unveiled a proposal to sell a 20% stake in a newly created commercial entity, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would assume responsibility for all of FIFA’s commercial and event operations. The football governing body said the new entity aims to raise up to $4.2 billion from third-party investors.
The proposal, championed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, has triggered widespread criticism across global football.
It has also renewed scrutiny of Infantino’s ties to US President Donald Trump. FIFA disclosed that Thrive Eternal, a private equity firm founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, is expected to lead the proposed investor group for FFE.
In a strongly worded statement, UEFA warned that its member nations would refuse to participate in FIFA competitions if the proposal is not permanently withdrawn.
“Football’s future cannot be dictated” by investors seeking financial gain, UEFA said.
It added: “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.”
UEFA is not alone in opposing the plan.
Concacaf, which oversees football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, also announced on Thursday that it had convened an emergency meeting with its 41 member associations and unanimously rejected FIFA’s proposal.
“The discussion reinforced the need for greater transparency and proper governance,” Concacaf said in a statement.
Responding to the growing backlash, Infantino sought to reassure football fans in a video released on Wednesday, insisting that “the beautiful game, and sport they watch and love will not change.”
He described the investment proposal as “a golden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally.”
Infantino also stressed that the proposal is “simply a choice for our members” and not a mandatory requirement.
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