After a virtual meeting on Thursday chaired by president Aleksander Ceferin, Uefa said it and all 55 member associations were united. They unanimously rejected Fifa’s plan to hand ownership stakes in the World Cup and other Fifa competitions to private investors.
Uefa, which a day earlier accused Fifa of exploiting football “to enrich themselves and their friends,” toughened its stance, calling it irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such magnitude was drawn up in secret without meaningful consultation. The statement described it as a profound leadership failure and an abdication of Fifa’s duty as guardian of the global game.
According to Uefa, national associations now face an ultimatum: accept the permanent takeover of the sport’s flagship tournaments or face repercussions. It said this was not democratic decision-making but intimidation—coercion unworthy of football’s governing body.
Though Uefa represents only about a quarter of Fifa’s members, it includes many of the strongest teams. Six of the eight quarter-finalists at this summer’s World Cup were European, including champions Spain; the totals were five and six in 2022 and 2018. Of the 23 World Cups held, European nations have won 13, with South American teams winning the other 10.
Uefa vice-president Laura McAllister called the proposals a genuine existential threat to football. Speaking to BBC Radio Wales, she said she hoped boycotts would not occur and was optimistic they wouldn’t, noting Europe’s central role in the sport. She told Radio 4’s PM programme there was strong unity among Uefa members and a clear consensus to take the toughest possible action, arguing they had no choice but to respond forcefully to a “catastrophic” plan rushed through without due diligence, proper governance, or consultation.