Uefa maintains World Cup boycott threat despite Fifa’s backing for Infantino
Uefa’s Stance on Infantino’s Presidency
Uefa has reiterated its loss of confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency, stating that Fifa’s public support for its president “changes nothing.” The European governing body has maintained its threat to boycott Fifa-run competitions. This position comes despite Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors, known as the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme, being aborted.
The English FA has formally withdrawn its support for Infantino, reacting to the initial proposal for private investment in tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. Uefa had previously stated that its conditions for averting a boycott had not been met, even after the FFE plan was scrapped. These conditions included the complete withdrawal of proposals to sell off major competitions and assurances that such attempts to “disfigure the game” would not be made again.
Uefa’s statement highlighted that the announcement of support from some Fifa employees, whose careers depend on Infantino’s favour, does not alter its stance. The organisation had made it clear on Saturday that it had lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership, a position it continues to hold.
Divisions and Reactions within Football Governance
The controversy surrounding Infantino has led to criticism from various football bodies. The global players’ union, Fifpro, condemned what it described as “a profound abuse of presidential power.” Conmebol, the South American confederation, also expressed concern over “repeated unilateral actions taken without resorting to dialogue.”
Despite a meeting of some Fifa’s management board members in Rabat, which aimed to show unity, divisions appear to persist. Notably, Arsène Wenger, Fifa’s chief of global development, reportedly declined an invitation to attend, seeking to distance himself from Infantino. Wenger had previously criticised the World Cup sell-off plans, deeming their scrapping “absolutely necessary and beyond question.”
Kevin Lamour, Fifa’s chief operating officer, who had described the FFE proposals as “the project of one person,” was not invited to the Rabat meeting. Other notable absentees included Jill Ellis, chief football officer, and Sarai Bareman, chief women’s football officer. While Fifa issued apologies to the Fifa Council and member associations for their exclusion from the FFE process, these sentiments reportedly did not sway a significant number of council members.
In contrast to Uefa’s position, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) executive committee “unanimously reconfirmed” its support for Infantino, thanking him for his contributions to African football. Concacaf, which oversees football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, also issued a statement after the proposal was aborted but did not go as far as to express a loss of confidence in the Fifa president.
Potential Boycott and Future Implications
The possibility of a boycott remains a key asset for Uefa in its efforts to hold Infantino accountable. If no agreement is reached, 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. Six European countries, including England, are expected to participate in this competition.
Uefa is exploring options to challenge Infantino’s leadership, including forcing an emergency meeting of the Fifa Council or triggering a vote of no confidence through an extraordinary congress. However, securing the necessary support for these actions presents a challenge. The option of finding a unity candidate to stand against Infantino in the election next March is also being considered, with Concacaf president Victor Montagliani being a potential candidate.
The president of the Gambia Football Federation, Lamin Kaba Bajo, praised Infantino’s “courage” and expressed his continued support. Jordan is one of the few countries that has publicly stated it will not vote for Infantino’s re-election in March. The Jordan Football Association president, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, confirmed that Fifa had paid bonuses owed from last December’s Arab Cup but reiterated his opposition to Infantino.
Source: bbc.com
