Europe ‘unanimously’ boycotts FIFA tournaments

Shafaq News (Updated at 20:20)

UEFA and its 55 member associations on Thursday announced that their national teams will boycott FIFA competitions while the global governing body continues pursuing a plan to sell private investors stakes in a new company handling the World Cup and other tournaments.

Statement on behalf of UEFA and its 55 National Associations

— UEFA (@UEFA) July 30, 2026

The unanimous decision followed an emergency meeting earlier today. UEFA stated that no European national team would participate in any FIFA competition unless the proposal was abandoned entirely and FIFA provided binding assurances that its governance and competitions would not be opened to private ownership in the future.

The measure covers UEFA national teams, including men’s, women’s and youth sides, but does not explicitly include European clubs participating in FIFA competitions.

UEFA and its associations “unanimously and unequivocally” rejected the proposal, maintaining that the World Cup belongs to football and should not be treated as an investment asset. England’s Football Association backed the collective position, stating that it stood with the other European associations against FIFA’s plan.

FIFA Proposes $20B Subsidiary

FIFA plans to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a subsidiary valued at approximately $20 billion that would oversee the commercial and event operations of the World Cup and its other competitions.

The governing body intends to offer external investors minority stakes totaling up to 20%, aiming to raise as much as $4.2 billion while retaining control over the company and exclusive authority over regulations, competition formats, scheduling and sporting governance.

FIFA argues that the structure would expand global football-development funding. Its proposal offers each of the 211 member associations access to as much as $20 million in immediate project financing, in addition to increased FIFA Forward grants during subsequent four-year cycles.

Member associations have until September 19 to respond to the proposal, which remains subject to approval. FIFA has not withdrawn or amended the plan following UEFA’s boycott announcement.

UEFA-FIFA Dispute Escalates

UEFA initially condemned the project on Tuesday, stating that “the soul and governance of football are not assets to trade” and arguing that FIFA did not own the game or possess the right to sell it.

Opposition has also emerged outside Europe. Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa described FIFA’s lack of consultation as “totally unacceptable” and urged the AFC’s 47 associations to delay any decision until the financial, legal and governance implications had been examined.

CONCACAF and several national associations have similarly questioned the process, while FIFPRO Europe warned that moving FIFA’s tournament operations into a partly privately owned business could alter the commercial incentives governing competitions and player workloads.

The proposal now faces UEFA’s united boycott alongside wider demands for consultation before FIFA’s September 19 deadline.