UEFA Lifts Boycott After FIFA Promises Not to Resell World Cup Stakes

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has decided to call off its boycott of FIFA-organized tournaments after receiving a guarantee from the international governing body that it will not attempt to sell World Cup stakes again.

The British daily The Guardian reported on the 27th (Korean time) that "FIFA has delivered a binding promise to UEFA that it will never again pursue a scheme similar to President Gianni Infantino's proposal to sell World Cup equity," adding, "UEFA will now participate in upcoming tournaments, including the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, which kicks off in early September."

Previously, UEFA strongly protested and declared a boycott of FIFA-organized tournaments after FIFA President Gianni Infantino revealed the "FIFA Forward Enterprise" (FFE) initiative, a plan to sell World Cup stakes to the private sector.

Faced with fierce opposition led by UEFA, as well as the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), FIFA ultimately announced the withdrawal of the FFE plan.

However, when FIFA officially announced the withdrawal of the FFE, it omitted a promise not to repeat similar privatization plans, leading to continued backlash from UEFA. The issue was finally resolved when FIFA sent a confidential letter to UEFA explicitly stating this commitment.

UEFA is scheduled to officially announce the withdrawal of its boycott of FIFA tournaments during an executive committee meeting in Monaco on the 27th local time.

Consequently, participating nations in the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup (September 5 – 27), including host nation Poland, England, France, Portugal, Italy, and Spain, have lifted their boycott and will participate in the tournament normally.

In response, FIFA stated, "We are pleased that all qualified teams will participate in the U-20 Women's World Cup."

Nevertheless, while UEFA is calling off its boycott of FIFA tournaments, its efforts to oust President Infantino are expected to continue.

The British public broadcaster BBC reported, "UEFA plans to put forward a single candidate to run against President Infantino in the FIFA presidential election scheduled for next March," adding, "However, it has given up on pursuing a vote of no confidence against FIFA President Infantino, judging it to be unrealistic."

The BBC explained, "Although an official candidate has not yet been finalized, Concacaf President Victor Montagliani is being discussed as a strong challenger."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.