A growing rift between UEFA and FIFA
European football’s governing body has reaffirmed its threat to boycott every FIFA‑sanctioned competition unless the world governing body abandons its plan to commercialise future World Cup tournaments.
The controversy ignited when Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, engaged in secret negotiations to sell shares of upcoming World Cups, a move that was met with swift condemnation from UEFA’s 55 member associations.
The fallout over the World Cup share scheme
Infantino eventually dropped the proposal, but the episode has left a deep scar, with UEFA accusing the FIFA leadership of secrecy and a lack of transparency.
FIFPRO, the global players’ union, has seized the moment to demand sweeping governance reforms, including a permanent Global Social Dialogue Platform within FIFA’s structure and voting rights for professional stakeholders on the FIFA Council.
What’s at stake for players and federations
The union argues that such changes are essential to safeguard the interests of players and to prevent unilateral decisions that could disrupt international match calendars and tournament expansions.
A potential showdown in September
UEFA’s patience appears exhausted; it has warned that if FIFA does not provide legally binding assurances by the end of the month, it will test its boycott at the Women’s U‑20 World Cup in September, a move that could reverberate across the sport.