UEFA Officially Boycotts FIFA Competitions Over New Proposal

UEFA has issued an official statement via its website, announcing its complete rejection of the proposal put forward by Gianni Infantino, the President of FIFA, regarding the sale of ownership shares of FIFA.

UEFA stated in its announcement: "The European football association and its 55 member associations stand united. We unanimously and firmly reject FIFA's proposal to transfer ownership shares in the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments to private sector investors."

He added: "The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of the greatest sporting legacies in football, built over generations thanks to players, national teams, and fans across all continents. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale."

He added: "It is irresponsible, and indeed unacceptable, to draft a proposal of such importance for the future of football in secret, and then push it to the brink of approval without any real consultation with the bodies responsible for protecting and managing the game. This represents not just a serious failure in leadership, but a dereliction of FIFA's duty as the governing body of global football."

He added: "Today, national federations around the world are faced with a coercive choice: either accept permanent control over the most important football tournaments, or face the consequences. This is not a 'democratic decision'; it is management based on intimidation, and an act of coercion unworthy of an institution entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the game globally."

He emphasized: "Once external investors hold stakes in FIFA tournaments, football will change forever. Achieving commercial returns will become a permanent obligation, and investor expectations will turn into daily pressure. From that moment on, decisions regarding the international calendar, tournament systems, or the future of football will no longer be made based on what serves the game, but rather on what serves the interests of the shareholders."

He added: "This model has no place in global football. The future of the game cannot be dictated by the expectations of parties whose primary duty is to maximize financial returns. The interests of national federations, leagues, clubs, players, and fans cannot be subordinated to the profits of investors. Football should not mortgage its future for financial gains."

He continued: "Europe's position is clear: we will not grant this model any legitimacy. No one has the moral authority to sell what they are entrusted with solely for future generations. Based on today's discussions, no national team affiliated with UEFA will participate in any tournament organized by FIFA as long as this proposal remains in place, unless it is completely abandoned and FIFA provides binding guarantees that it will not open its governance or tournaments to private ownership again."

He concluded: "No one should have any doubt: UEFA and its national associations will firmly and resolutely stand against these plans. There are moments when the value of institutions is measured, not by what they are willing to accept, but by what they refuse to compromise on. This is one of those moments; there are things too precious to be sold. The World Cup belongs to football, and it will always remain so. As long as Europe has a say, the World Cup will never be for sale."