Sport3 min(s) read
Published 15:27 30 Jul 2026 GMT
England to boycott World Cup alongside all European nations if FIFA proceeds with new plan
UEFA's member associations have responded to FIFA President Gianni Infantino's announcement to sell off stakes in its football competitions, including the World Cup.
All 55 associations under UEFA, including England, have voted to boycott the World Cup if FIFA proceeds with its plan to sell shares to private investors.
This decision was made at an emergency meeting on Thursday (July 30), following proposals being made by FIFA, world football's governing body, on Tuesday.
UEFA governs European football, and they made their stance clear earlier this week with two concise statements about the plans.
They criticized the proposals, claiming that it "crosses a line," as FIFA looks to expand "football development funding" to more than $10bn, inviting third-party investment.
The boycott suggested would cover all FIFA competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups and Club World Cup.
The first time this will be demonstrated is in October, when the Women's World Cup play-offs are scheduled.
UEFA's statement in response to Infantino
The statement released by the European football association was released after the meeting, reading that its members "stand as one."
It further read: "We unanimously and unequivocally reject Fifa's proposal to transfer 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 across every continent. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors.
"The World Cup is not for sale."
They went on: “As a result of today’s discussion, no UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership.
“Nobody should be in any doubt: UEFA and its national associations will oppose these plans with absolute determination.”
The statement described FIFA's plan as “irresponsible and indefensible,” adding that it was “conceived in secret and brought to the brink of approval without any meaningful consultation with those entrusted with stewarding the game.”
“Some things are simply too important to sell. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale,” the federation definitively stated.
During Thursday's call, over 40 representatives voiced their anger at how UEFA had been treated by the governing body.
Some asked why FIFA reserves couldn't be used for the development of the game instead, while pointing towards concerns about the lack of consultation on FIFA’s controversial investment plans.
Infantino had written to all 211 FIFA member associations, promising a payment of $40m if they went along with his highly-criticized plan to sell stakes in its major competitions.
A deadline of September 19 was set for football federations to accept his plans if they wanted access to an initial reward of $20m.
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