European soccer’s governing body UEFA threatened Thursday to boycott future men’s and women’s World Cups in reaction to FIFA’s plan to inject private money into its competitions.

But FIFA issued a response Thursday night to the backlash by not backing down, seeking to “reaffirm” its plan on moving forward with the consultation process.

Defending its FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), the sport’s global governing body said it “acknowledges and respects feedback and concern aired in public,” and placed blame for the furor on “erroneous” reporting in the media.

“FFE has been proposed solely to ensure that all FIFA Member Associations (MAs) have the opportunity to take meaningful ownership of the commercial opportunity of football in their respective countries, and that this does not come at the cost of either the spirit or the governance of FIFA or football itself,” FIFA said in the press release.

“Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain.”

Earlier on Thursday, the unanimous vote in support of a boycott by UEFA’s 55 member associations delivered an authoritative statement, pitting the sport’s richest and most important national associations against FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino.

FIFA and Infantino had announced plans Tuesday to set up a separate subsidiary – involving private equity investment – that would control the commercial and operational rights to one of the globe’s biggest sporting events.

The proposal has come under intense scrutiny and criticism from many around the world, with UEFA saying the “soul and governance” of the game are under threat. FIFA, though, said that the money generated will be reinvested back into the sport.

“Europe’s position is clear. We will never lend this model our legitimacy. No one has the moral authority to sell what they merely hold in trust for the next generation,” UEFA said in a Thursday statement.

“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.”

FIFA pushed back on the claims, saying “everyone has the right to express their opposition and to seek further clarification,” but that no “entity can claim to represent all 211” of its member associations.

“Each MA should be allowed to review the proposal and have ⁠a say in shaping their own future. These are the democratic principles of FIFA,” FIFA added.

At Thursday’s emergency meeting held virtually, UEFA’s members approved the boycott, which would mean teams like current World Cup champion Spain as well as this year’s semifinalists France and England would not play in the 2030 World Cup.

The boycott would also affect next year’s World Cup in Brazil on the women’s side. Three of the four semifinalists last time around were also European, including champion Spain.

“There are moments when institutions are judged not by what they are prepared to accept, but by what they refuse to compromise. This is one of those moments,” UEFA said in its statement.

“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.”

Following UEFA’s lead, the North and Central America and Caribbean governing body, CONCACAF, also rejected the scheme, noting in a Thursday statement “deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal.” However, CONCACAF did not say its 41 member nations would boycott future FIFA competitions.

On Friday, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) released a strong statement supporting the stance of UEFA and CONCACAF.

“The AFC stands in solidarity with UEFA and CONCACAF in expressing serious concerns over FIFA’s proposal to introduce private investment into FIFA’s flagship competitions and the decision-making process around FFE,” it said.

“The fact that the situation has reached the point where the real possibility of a FIFA World Cup boycott has entered public discourse should concern everyone who cares about the future of our game. Football should never have been placed in such a position.

“Against this backdrop, and in light of the clear positions expressed by UEFA and CONCACAF, as well as the unprecedented divisions that have emerged across the football world, the AFC believes that the proposed FFE cannot realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and unity required to move forward,” the organization added, before calling on FIFA to review its governance framework.

A spokesperson for the Oceania Football Confederation said the FIFA proposal would be addressed by the entity’s executive committee in August.

Support is bubbling amid widening anger

Aside from the lack of transparency around the process, much of the criticism of FIFA’s FFE proposal centered around the involvement of private investors purchasing roughly 20% of the FFE subsidiary, in particular the main proposed investor group, Thrive Eternal, headed up by Joshua Kushner – brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.

A fear is that investors, seeking a return on their investments, would push to influence matters beyond their remit to maximize profits.

For example, the newly expanded men’s World Cup generated significantly more revenue through additional matches, while hydration breaks gave broadcasters opportunities to feature additional advertisements if they so chose. Under this proposal, there would be an even greater incentive to expand the tournament and the Club World Cup to include more teams, providing more games and generating more revenue. This isn’t speculation but rather something already postulated by Infantino during the 2026 edition. Would investors also pressure FIFA to hold the World Cup more frequently – every two years instead of every four?

That would then affect player welfare and competitions outside of FIFA’s remit, such as domestic leagues and continental club competitions like UEFA’s Champions League. Players are already nearing their physical limits with additional games, so would this move lead to further injuries and have a negative impact across the sport?

It remains to be seen what other continental confederations, such as South America’s CONMEBOL, will do following UEFA’s boycott, given the widespread uproar over FIFA’s FFE proposal.

England’s Football Association (FA) said it stands “shoulder to shoulder” with European teams after the vote. “The FIFA World Cup belongs to football and always will,” a spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, European Commissioner of Sport Glenn Micallef said he fully supports UEFA’s position, posting on X: “Proud to see Europe’s football associations leading on governance, standing firm on their principles and defending the integrity of the game.”

Britain’s Sport Minister Lisa Nandy said the boycott was a “principled decision” that the UK supports. “Football belongs to the fans, not billionaire investors. Enough is enough. It’s time to take a stand to protect our game,” Nandy said.

UEFA’s oversized impact

Even though UEFA’s member associations only make up just over 26% of FIFA’s worldwide membership, those 55 largely European associations carry massive weight in soccer, both on the national and club level.

Many of the richest and most powerful national soccer associations are in Europe and carry a lot of influence due to their domestic leagues and the strength of their club sides. Countries like England (which has the richest domestic competition in the world, the Premier League), Spain and Germany feature powerhouse teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Bayern Munich – moneymaking machines that drive commercial interests worldwide, both on and off the pitch.

On a sporting level, European national teams take up six spots in FIFA’s top 10 of its men’s global rankings. At the 2026 World Cup, UEFA members made up six of the eight squads in the quarterfinals, three of the four semifinalists and Spain ultimately won the tournament.

On the women’s side, it’s much the same. UEFA associations, again, make up six of the top 10 in the world rankings. At the 2023 World Cup, Europe had five out of the eight quarterfinalists, three of the four semifinalists and both finalists, with Spain also winning.

With the next major FIFA international event, the Under-20 Women’s World Cup, set to kick off on September 5 in Poland, it won’t be long to see if six – Poland, France, Italy, England, Portugal and Spain – of the 24 teams set to compete do keep their word and stay off the pitch in Katowice. (CNN)

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