… keeps World Cup boycott threat alive
European football’s governing body, UEFA, has insisted that FIFA’s renewed backing for President Gianni Infantino “changes nothing”, maintaining that a boycott of FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, remains an option over the governing body’s abandoned investment proposal.
“Yesterday’s announcement that some people employed by the FIFA president (and whose careers depend on his favour) agree with him changes nothing,” UEFA said in a statement on Thursday.
The latest response came a day after FIFA executives reaffirmed their support for Infantino following an emergency meeting in Rabat, Morocco, where the FIFA president apologised for “errors” linked to a controversial plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors.
The English Football Association has also withdrawn its support for Infantino, while UEFA said FIFA had failed to meet the conditions it set after rejecting the proposal.
“First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly,” UEFA said. “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 added that it still had no confidence in Infantino’s leadership.
“UEFA made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency. That position holds.”
FIFA acknowledges ‘mistakes’
The dispute centres on Infantino’s proposal to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a subsidiary that would have allowed private investors to acquire stakes in major FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups.
Following Wednesday’s meeting, FIFA said “mistakes” regarding the proposal had been “acknowledged”, adding that it was “not the intention” for the FIFA Council and member associations “to feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently”.
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The governing body also admitted that “errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media”.
Infantino and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom later wrote to FIFA’s vice-presidents, council members and 211 member associations, saying they “sincerely apologise” for their errors and “commit to them not happening again”.
Support divided
While UEFA remains opposed to Infantino, several football bodies have publicly backed the FIFA president.
South American governing body CONMEBOL, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the football associations of Mexico and Argentina all reaffirmed their support on Thursday.
CAF said its executive committee had “unanimously reconfirmed” its support for Infantino and thanked him for his backing of African football.
Former Portugal international Luis Figo, however, renewed his call for Infantino to resign.
“Infantino has debased the office that he promised to elevate,” Figo said.
“It is too late to save his dignity but it is not too late to save football.”
Boycott remains an option
UEFA has not ruled out stronger action, including a boycott of FIFA competitions, if its concerns remain unresolved.
The European governing body is also considering other governance measures, including supporting an alternative candidate in the 2027 FIFA presidential election.
Despite growing criticism in Europe, Infantino continues to enjoy strong support from several football associations in Africa, Asia and South America, making any challenge to his leadership increasingly difficult.
