UEFA will convene an urgent meeting with its 55 member associations on Thursday, as reported by sources to ESPN, to deliberate on potential actions, including a possible boycott of the World Cup, in response to FIFA’s proposal to sell a stake in the tournament to private investors.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino unveiled the plan on Tuesday, aiming to raise $20 billion through equity sales to outside investors, claiming the initiative will “unlock FIFA’s commercial potential and opportunities.”
The announcement of the meeting follows UEFA’s accusations on Wednesday, where they accused FIFA of exploiting the sport “to enrich themselves and their associates.”
– Ogden: World Cup for sale? An examination of FIFA’s controversial plans
This proposal has drawn harsh criticism from numerous stakeholders in the sport, including LaLiga president Javier Tebas. In a post on X on Wednesday, he asserted: “This doesn’t appear to be reform. It resembles an election campaign financed at football’s expense.”
“Development should not be leveraged to secure votes or silence dissent. FIFA’s competitions and commercial rights do not belong to Infantino personally. Anyone who intertwines politics, misconduct, finances, and power without transparency cannot lead anything effectively.”
“Infantino is not the answer to FIFA’s governance issues; he is the core problem. We are plunging deeper into uncharted territory, and there are more revelations to come.”
The English Football Association also voiced its concerns regarding the proposal, stating: “We were completely unaware of this initiative and lack substantive details about what it entails and the associated conditions.”
“Given the limited information at hand, we are profoundly worried about the absence of processes and governance that led to this point, as well as the apparent principles involved.”
“We will clarify our stance and provide further comments when FIFA shares the proposal in the full, transparent manner they have promised.”
In a FIFA-released interview on Wednesday, Infantino defended the initiative, asserting it represents “a golden opportunity to accelerate the global development of the game.”
He added, “Currently, too little of football’s expanding commercial value benefits the parts of the game that need it most.”
“Capturing that value necessitates expertise and insights beyond those involved in governance and development.”
– FA and Concacaf express significant concern over Infantino and FIFA’s World Cup proposal
Infantino set a deadline of September 19 for the 211 member federations to approve his proposed private investment strategy, which could provide each nation with up to $40 million in funding.
A letter dispatched to member federations indicated that an initial funding package of $10 billion would be available if the proposal receives approval, compared to $2.7 billion if it does not.
Reporting contributed by ESPN’s Mark Ogden and Adriana Garcia.