UEFA and its 55 national associations have threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions unless FIFA abandons plans to bring private investors into its major tournaments. “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,” UEFA said Thursday. UEFA Declares World Cup ‘Not for Sale’ FIFA announced plans Tuesday to create FIFA Forward Enterprise, a commercial subsidiary managing events including the World Cup and Club World Cup. Private investors could buy minority, non-controlling stakes. FIFA hopes to raise up to $4.2 billion at a $20 billion valuation. Each of its 211 associations could receive a one-off $20 million payment in early 2027. Funding for 2027 to 2030 could rise from $8 million to $20 million. Read More: World Cup Business Up for Sale as FIFA Targets $4.2 Billion FIFA President Gianni Infantino called it a “golden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally.” UEFA rejected that case. “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.” UEFA Attacks FIFA’s Governance UEFA said FIFA developed the proposal in secret and moved it towards approval without meaningful consultation. “This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the custodian of world football,” it said. UEFA added: “This is not a ‘democratic decision’, but governance by intimidation, an act of coercion unworthy of an institution entrusted with the stewardship of the global game.” Statement on behalf of UEFA and its 55 National Associations — UEFA (@UEFA) July 30, 2026 It warned that investors would create permanent pressure for commercial returns. “Football’s future cannot be dictated by the expectations of those whose first duty is to maximise financial return. Nor can the interests of national associations, leagues, clubs, players and supporters become subordinate to investor returns. Football cannot mortgage its future for financial gain.” “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. Opposition Spreads Across Confederations Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation also criticised the lack of consultation. The Confederation of African Football asked members to review the plan. Leading European federations and European Union officials raised concerns about conflicts of interest and further commercialisation. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin had already skipped the World Cup final to signal his anger. Read More: FIFA Names Best XI as Major Spain Omissions Spark Debate “Nobody should be in any doubt: UEFA and its national associations will oppose these plans with absolute determination,” the statement said. It concluded: “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.”