🚨 UEFA and its 55 federations boycott FIFA and the World Cup | OneFootball

World football is going through an unprecedented institutional earthquake. Opposed to FIFA’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors, UEFA and its 55 member associations banged their fists on the table in a statement of unprecedented severity.

The European governing body is quite simply announcing its withdrawal from competitions organized by FIFA, notably the World Cup. The decision was made following an emergency meeting between UEFA and its 55 member associations.

Here is UEFA’s statement, translated into French:

"Statement on behalf of UEFA and its 55 national associations

UEFA and its national associations will not take part in FIFA competitions.

UEFA and its 55 member associations stand united. We unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA’s proposal to sell ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors.

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 on every continent. No part of that legacy should ever be handed over to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale.

It is both irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such importance to football was developed in secret and brought to the brink of approval without any meaningful consultation with those entrusted with the stewardship of the sport. This represents not only a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the guardian of world football.

National associations around the world are now being confronted with an ultimatum: accept the irreversible capture of the biggest football competitions or suffer the consequences. This is not a ‘democratic decision,’ but governance by intimidation. An act of coercion unworthy of an institution charged with overseeing world football.

But our opposition goes far beyond mere procedural concerns.

From the moment private investors acquire stakes in FIFA competitions, football changes forever. Financial profitability becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations exert daily pressure. From that point on, every decision concerning the international calendar, competition formats, or the future of football is no longer guided by the interests of the game, but by those of shareholders.

This model has no place in world football. The future of football cannot be dictated by the expectations of investors whose priority is to maximize their financial returns. Nor can the interests of national associations, leagues, clubs, players, and supporters be subordinated to those of investors. Football cannot mortgage its future in the name of profit.

Europe’s position is clear: we will never endorse such a model. No one has the moral authority to sell what they are only preserving for future generations.

Following today’s discussions, no UEFA-affiliated national team will take part in competitions organized by FIFA as long as these proposals remain on the table, unless they are definitively abandoned and FIFA provides legally binding guarantees that it will never again open its governance or competitions to private interests.

Let there be no misunderstanding: UEFA and its member associations will oppose these plans with the utmost firmness.

There are moments when institutions are judged not by what they accept, but by what they refuse to sacrifice. This is one of them.

Some things are simply too precious to be sold. The World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And as long as Europe has a voice in the matter, it will never be for sale."

It remains to be seen whether Gianni Infantino and FIFA will back down.

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

📸 ODD ANDERSEN - AFP or licensors