Uefa maintains World Cup boycott threat despite Fifa backing for Infantino

By Rohan Gupta — 6 August 2026 — 3 min read

Uefa’s Stance on Infantino’s Presidency

Uefa has reiterated its threat to boycott Fifa-run competitions and maintained its lack of confidence in Gianni Infantino‘s presidency. This position comes despite Fifa‘s public support for its president, which Uefa stated “changes nothing.” The European football governing body has expressed that its conditions for averting a boycott have not been met.

The conditions set by Uefa‘s 55 member associations included the withdrawal of proposals to sell stakes in major competitions and assurances that such attempts to “disfigure the game” would not be made again. Uefa stated that these conditions have not been fulfilled. The organization had previously declared its loss of confidence in Infantino‘s leadership, labelling the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal as a “shabby, back room, opaque deal.”

The English FA has formally withdrawn its support for Infantino following the plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. The global players’ union, Fifpro, also condemned what it described as “a profound abuse of presidential power.”

Fifa’s Internal Response and Divisions

During a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, Fifa acknowledged “mistakes” regarding the FFE and stated it was “not the intention” for the Fifa Council and member associations to “feel excluded from the process.” However, Uefa remains unconvinced, noting that the meeting primarily involved employees whose careers depend on Infantino‘s favour.

Several key figures were notably absent from the Rabat meeting. Arsène Wenger, Fifa‘s chief of global development, reportedly declined to attend, seeking to distance himself from Infantino‘s actions. Kevin Lamour, Fifa‘s chief operating officer, who had criticised the FFE proposals as “the project of one person,” was not invited to the summit. Additionally, Jill Ellis, chief football officer, and Sarai Bareman, chief women’s football officer, were not present.

Despite Fifa sending apologies to the Fifa Council and member associations for their exclusion from the FFE process, these sentiments are believed to have failed to sway a significant number of council members. Uefa continues to seek answers regarding who was involved in the FFE proposal, whether a competitive tender process occurred, and if Infantino stood to benefit personally.

Potential Boycott and Future Implications

The possibility of European teams boycotting Fifa competitions, including the World Cup, remains. The Under-20 Women’s World Cup, scheduled to begin in Poland on 5 September, could be the first tournament affected by a Uefa-led boycott if an accord is not reached. Six European countries, including England, are expected to participate in this event.

While Uefa is actively working to challenge Infantino before Fifa‘s presidential election in March, gaining sufficient support to unseat him has proven difficult. The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has unanimously reconfirmed its support for Infantino, and Conmebol, while expressing concern over unilateral actions, indicated it would not support actions that disregard established institutional mechanisms for the presidential election process.

Uefa has considered options such as forcing an emergency meeting of the Fifa Council or triggering a vote of no confidence, which would require a majority of Fifa‘s 211 member associations. However, the organisation acknowledges that securing the necessary votes for these actions presents a significant challenge. The Jordan Football Association president, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, has publicly stated his opposition to Infantino and confirmed his association will not endorse or vote for him in the upcoming election.

Fifpro has also made demands for governance reforms, including giving players voting rights on the Fifa Council, arguing that the withdrawal of the FFE proposal does not erase the concerns it raised about the abuse of presidential power. The union highlighted that the plan to alter the ownership and governance of the Fifa World Cup was conceived in secrecy and brought to the brink of agreement without proper consultation.

The situation highlights ongoing turmoil within football’s governance, with Uefa maintaining its firm stance against Infantino‘s leadership as the Fifa Women’s U20s World Cup approaches on 5 September.

Source: bbc.com