UEFA And 55 Nations Vote To Boycott The World Cup Over FIFA's Private Investor Sale Plan

UEFA and all 55 of its national associations voted unanimously Thursday to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions unless FIFA completely abandons its plan to sell up to a 20 percent ownership stake in a new $20 billion subsidiary that would run the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments. The statement, published Thursday morning, is the most significant challenge to FIFA's authority in the history of the sport.

"The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product," UEFA said. "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."

The plan, reported by The Times last Tuesday, would have FIFA create a subsidiary to commercialize its competitions and sell minority stakes to private equity or sovereign wealth funds. FIFA gave associations a deadline Wednesday to declare support or lose a one-time cash payout that had been offered as an incentive.

That ultimatum appears to have backfired spectacularly. UEFA called it "irresponsible and indefensible" that a proposal of "such significance for football was conceived in secret and brought to the brink of approval without any meaningful consultation."

The impact is enormous. UEFA members provided six of the eight 2026 World Cup quarterfinalists.

The 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil, the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups, all are now under threat. FIFA has not yet responded to the boycott threat.