European soccer’s governing body UEFA warned Thursday that its member nations would boycott all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, if the global organization proceeds with a controversial plan to sell a stake in its commercial operations to private investors. Following an emergency meeting of its 55 member associations, UEFA called the proposal irresponsible and indefensible, criticizing FIFA leadership for advancing such a significant move without consulting the national federations that make up the organization.
The standoff centers on Tuesday’s announcement from FIFA that it intends to sell a 20 percent stake in a newly created entity called FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would assume control over all commercial and event operations. The organization said the entity could raise up to $4.2 billion from outside investors. The proposal, championed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, has also drawn attention because of the involvement of Thrive Eternal, a private equity firm founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner. FIFA identified Thrive Eternal as expected to lead the investor group for the new venture.
UEFA issued an unambiguous threat in response, stating that no European national team would participate in any FIFA competition so long as the proposals remain active. Football’s future cannot be dictated by stakeholders seeking financial gain, the organization said, demanding that FIFA abandon the plan entirely and provide binding assurances that it will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership. Concacaf, which governs soccer across North and Central America and the Caribbean, separately rejected the proposal after holding its own emergency meeting with all 41 member associations and calling for greater transparency and proper governance.
Infantino defended the plan in a video message released Wednesday, telling fans that the beautiful game they watch and love will not change and describing the proposal as a golden opportunity to turbocharge development of the sport globally. He characterized the initiative as simply a choice for members rather than an obligation, though the growing backlash from two of the most influential regional confederations suggests the path forward will be anything but smooth.
