FIFA drops plan to sell shares, Club World Cup hit | OneFootball

UEFA had declared a boycott of FIFA over the decision

After heavy pressure, FIFA backed away from the idea of selling part of the World Cup’s shares to private investors. Because of the proposal, UEFA, which represents European clubs, even said it would no longer play in the organization’s tournaments. In other words, the 2029 Club World Cup, for which Flamengo has already qualified, would not have the richest teams in the world.

“As we said from the start, this would only be done if the majority of FIFA’s Member Associations supported it, and always subject to a consultation process with them, with the FIFA Council, the Confederations, and stakeholders in general,” says part of the statement released by Gianni Infantino, FIFA president.

“Having listened carefully to all opinions, it became clear that the project created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, no longer serve the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” he added.

HOW WOULD THIS IMPACT FLAMENGO?

Flamengo dreams of playing in the Intercontinental at the end of the year. To do so, it needs to win the 2026 Copa Libertadores. The continental winner could face PSG (France), the European champion, in December. However, with UEFA’s boycott, the French side would not play in the tournament. Now, with FIFA backing down, that refusal to take part in competitions will not happen. The same applies to the 2029 Club World Cup, for which Mengão has already qualified.

WHAT DID FIFA WANT TO DO?

FIFA announced last Tuesday (28) that it wanted to create a company to sell minority stakes tied to the organization of competitions. The expectation was to raise US$ 4.2 billion (R$ 21.5 billion). However, the plan would need approval from the 211 associations that are part of the entity, but most were against it and made that clear publicly. UEFA and Concacaf were the two with the strongest criticism.

Conmebol, from South America, released a statement in a milder tone than the two mentioned above, but without mentioning a boycott. Finally, Africa, Oceania, and Asia did not speak publicly, but scheduled meetings with allies.

WHAT IS THE AUTHOR’S OPINION?

— Football is grateful. Can you imagine a Club World Cup without the Europeans? And the men’s and women’s World Cups without teams from the continent? It’s a good thing FIFA backed down. Football can breathe again —, opined journalist Pedro Paulo Catonho, from Coluna do Fla.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.