Uefa threatens World Cup boycott over Fifa commercial plans

Uefa has warned it will boycott all Fifa tournaments unless Fifa abandons plans to sell stakes in a new commercial entity to private investors, the Danish broadcaster DR reports.

The European football body issued the threat after an online meeting with its member nations, including Denmark, on Thursday. All members backed the stance.

Fifa’s proposal involves creating Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), valued at around $20 billion, and selling a minority stake to external investors. Fifa states that net proceeds would be reinvested in football, but Uefa demands binding guarantees that Fifa will never again open its governance or tournaments to private ownership.

“As a result of today’s discussion, no Uefa national team will participate in any Fifa competition as long as these proposals remain on the table, unless the proposal is abandoned in its entirety,” Uefa said in a statement.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has framed the plan as part of “the democratisation of global football,” arguing that a dedicated commercial structure would better distribute value worldwide. However, the Danish Football Association (DBU) has condemned the move, calling it “a proposal that sells the soul of football.”

DBU chairman Jesper Møller stated: “It is absolutely out of the question to enter into an agreement of this nature, where we invite private investors into the heart of Fifa. We will therefore support all necessary measures to stop this project.”

Fifa’s plan requires approval from a majority of its 211 member associations, with 106 votes sufficient for passage.