Uefa threatens boycott if Infantino's investment plan goes ahead
Uefa and its national associations will not participate in Fifa competitions if Fifa president Gianni Infantino's plan to sell a 20% stake in a subsidiary company to private investors is accepted, Uefa announced in a blunt statement.
In a dramatic move on Thursday, 30 July, Uefa declared that it and its member associations would boycott Fifa competitions if Infantino's funding deal is approved. The plan involves selling a 20% stake in a new subsidiary set up to run Fifa's competitions, including the World Cup, with private investors such as Joshua Kushner, the brother of US President Donald Trump's son-in-law.
Uefa's boycott threat will be triggered if the deal is accepted. With a 19 September deadline for countries to accept the offer and receive $20m on 1 January, nations could theoretically withdraw from tournaments mid-event, such as the U20 Women's World Cup starting 5 September in Poland, which features many European teams.
Laura McAllister, Uefa vice-president and former Wales international, told BBC Radio 5 Live that no one can contemplate Wales missing the Women's World Cup play-offs in autumn, which would be their first qualification. She stressed that Fifa created this problem, not Uefa.
Fifa has not yet responded to Uefa's statement. Concacaf, governing football in North and Central America, also rejected the proposals. FA chair Debbie Hewitt, a Fifa vice-president, spoke against the plan at Uefa's emergency meeting. The Scottish FA, whose president Mike Mulraney chairs Fifa's finance committee, said it "agrees unequivocally" with Uefa.
Sources say the mood at Uefa's meeting was anger over Infantino's lack of consultation and dialogue. Many Concacaf members have lost faith in Infantino's ability to govern.
There is talk of finding a candidate to challenge Infantino for the presidency in March. Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of Paris St-Germain, has been mentioned but sources say he genuinely does not want the job. Historically, sitting Fifa presidents are rarely challenged; the last to lose was Sir Stanley Rous in 1974.
Former FA chairman David Bernstein said that in a normal organisation Infantino would likely be shown the door, but Fifa is not normal. He believes a solution must be found as a schism would be lose-lose for everyone. Infantino's letter to associations promised a $40bn product, but without European involvement, those figures are unattainable.
