UEFA to withdraw FIFA boycott threat after Infantino investor plan shelved
European football’s governing body is set to formalise the end of its standoff with FIFA, clearing the way for six national teams to compete in Poland next month.
UEFA is expected to formally withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA competitions following assurances that FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s failed investor plan will not be revived. The European body’s member federations are meeting in Monaco on Thursday, ahead of the Champions League draw, to finalise the decision. A person familiar with the proposal told the Associated Press that the closed-door session would see the boycott threat officially ended, a move that resolves a significant governance dispute between the two institutions.
The decision clears six European teams to continue their preparations for the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup, which kicks off on 5 September in Poland. France and Spain named their squads last week for the 24-nation tournament, which had risked becoming an unwanted battleground in the pushback against Infantino’s private investor plan. England, Italy, Portugal, and host Poland will also participate, alongside teams from the United States, Brazil, and Argentina.
The boycott threat emerged after Infantino’s proposal for a $20bn subsidiary, dubbed the FIFA Forward Enterprise, was revealed by The Times last month. The plan involved a spinoff controlling FIFA commercial rights, including the World Cup, with a 20 percent stake owned by investors led by a New York fund created by Joshua Kushner. Initial offers of $20m were to be paid to each of FIFA’s 211 member federations, with a mid-September deadline for acceptance.
Infantino dropped the proposal within four days amid a furious backlash led by UEFA, with support from the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF. The furore was fuelled by criticism from senior FIFA officials, prompting UEFA to demand assurances that the spinoff would not be presented in a different form. Those assurances have now been received, according to the source.
FIFA welcomed the update in a statement, stating that it “strongly believes that football has the power to unite, even in challenging circumstances, and looks forward to welcoming all teams and players to Poland.” The next set of FIFA competition games in Europe after the under-20s event is the qualifying playoffs for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, scheduled for 9–13 October.
Despite the withdrawal of the boycott, underlying tensions remain. UEFA stated on 1 August that it had no confidence in Infantino’s leadership, signalling an intent to challenge his re-election in March next year. The 55 UEFA member federations are attending the Monaco meeting four weeks after they united in an online call to agree to the threatened boycott, with the presidential vote scheduled for Rabat, Morocco.
