UEFA Reinforces World Cup Boycott Stance, FIFPRO Blast Infantino’s ‘Abuse of Power’

UEFA doubled down on its threat to boycott all FIFA competitions in response to the governing body’s public pledge of support for president Gianni Infantino.

Infantino remains embroiled in controversy after the world learned of his plan to sell shares of future World Cups to private investors. The mass backlash that followed forced the 56-year-old to abandon his plight, but he is still under fire even after FIFA released a public statement backing his reign.

The 55 member associations of UEFA remain united against world soccer’s governing body. UEFA released another statement on Thursday reaffirming its boycott and calling out FIFA for blindly supporting Infantino, who came out of Wednesday’s emergency meeting with his job in tact.

UEFA Has ‘Lost Confidence’ in Infantino, FIFA

UEFA flag — UEFA did not hold back. | Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images

“UEFA’s associations were very clear about the conditions attached to their non participation in FIFA competitions,” UEFA said in a statement. “First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again.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. In addition, UEFA made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency. That position holds.

“Yesterday’s announcement that some people employed by the FIFA President (and whose careers depend on his favor) agree with him changes nothing.”

Indeed, FIFA did not make any assurances in its most recent head-turning statement. Instead, it announced its “full support” of Infantino and asserted it will “no longer tolerate any attacks on [FIFA’s] integrity,” pledging to take “all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation.”

It also revealed Infantino apologized for keeping his original plan to sell the World Cup from several members of FIFA, who had to find out through leaks.

FIFPRO Release Impactful Statement

Gianni Infantino remains at the center of FIFA’s latest controversy. | Win McNamee/Getty Images

FIFA’s bit of damage control to support Infantino is not having the desired impact. Off the back of UEFA’s statement, FIFPRO, the global players’ union, released one of their own, calling for “governance reforms” in the wake of such an “abuse of power.”

“The withdrawal of FFE was inevitable. But withdrawing the proposal does not erase what it revealed,” the statement reads.

“A plan capable of permanently altering the ownership and governance of the FIFA World Cup, and commercializing the competitions built by generations of players, was conceived in secrecy, negotiated behind closed doors and brought to the brink of agreement before the FIFA Council, the Member Associations, players and football’s recognized stakeholders even knew it existed.

“That is not merely a governance failure. It is a profound abuse of presidential power.”

FIFPRO went on to list the following demands, per its statement:

Embedding the Global Social Dialogue Platform as a real, permanent and structural part of FIFA's governance, not a mechanism to be bypassed at will.
Legally binding engagement with professional football's stakeholders on decisions of major consequence, including the international match calendar, competition expansion and other matters that fundamentally affect the professional game.
Voting rights for professional football's stakeholders on the FIFA Council, together with a clear and formally recognized role for FIFPRO as the global representative of professional footballers.
Governance and structural reforms that make it impossible for any individual, ever again, to drive unilateral decisions through the game.

What Happens Next For UEFA?

World Cup trophy — Events are coming to test UEFA’s resolve. | Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu/Getty Images

Based on its last two statements, Europe’s governing body will remain firm in its decision to boycott all future FIFA international tournaments. A U-turn seems only possible if FIFA fulfills the conditions UEFA laid out.

Should FIFA refuse to do so, then UEFA will face a test of its resolve at the Women’s U-20 World Cup, set to kick off in September. The tournament presents the first opportunity for UEFA to enact its boycott, before the 2027 Women’s World Cup qualifier play-offs kick off in October.

The impending events give FIFA a one-month deadline to get back in the good graces of UEFA or else risk another public disaster that would ultimately come at the expense of players just trying to compete.

Add us as a preferred source on Google