UEFA has announced it will boycott all FIFA competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups, in protest against a proposed investment plan backed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, according to Jornal de Negócios. The decision, reported on Thursday, marks a formal rupture between European football's governing body and the global federation.
The move follows months of friction over FIFA's push to bring private capital into its competitions. Jornal de Negócios reports that UEFA's executive committee views the plan as a threat to the sport's governance and financial stability. The boycott would effectively bar European national teams and clubs from participating in FIFA-sanctioned events, a scenario that would upend the international match calendar.
Brazilian outlet G1 notes that the proposal has drawn attention from former U.S. President Donald Trump, though the specifics of his involvement remain unclear from the reporting. In a related development, Estadão reports that one of Infantino's top advisers resigned in opposition to the private investment project, signaling internal dissent at FIFA's highest levels.
FIFA has pushed back against the narrative, with ESPN Brazil reporting that the organization denies selling off football and blames the press for inflaming the controversy. Meio e Mensagem frames the dispute as a crisis that could directly affect future World Cup editions, raising questions about the tournament's viability without European participation.
The standoff is unprecedented in modern football history. UEFA's boycott threat, if carried out, would strip FIFA's flagship events of their most competitive teams and largest television markets. The coming weeks will likely see whether FIFA adjusts its investment plan or risks a split that reshapes the sport's global structure.
