European football's governing body has moved to boycott FIFA's flagship competitions. UEFA's member countries have agreed to boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, in protest at a private-equity plan for the tournament. The development was described as major news, given the scale of the nations that could be pulled out of the sport's biggest event if the protest continues.
According to the report, UEFA, European soccer's 55-member governing body, unanimously voted to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA-organised competitions. The protest is directed at what was described as a 20 billion dollar, Wall Street-style takeover of the global game, and the boycott was first reported by the New York Post.
The practical consequences would be striking. The boycott would see European nations withdraw from all FIFA competitions organised by the Zurich-based nonprofit. That would mean the absence of some of the sport's most prominent teams, including Spain, the defending World Cup champions, as well as France, England, Portugal, Germany and Italy.
UEFA set out its objection in a statement. "The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of football's greatest sporting legacies," the organisation said, adding that the tournament "has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent."
The governing body was unequivocal about where it draws the line. "No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors," UEFA said, summing up its position with the phrase that "The World Cup is not for sale." The statement framed the competition as a sporting legacy rather than a commercial asset to be sold.
England's Football Association added its backing to the European position. "We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues and fully support the collective view," the FA said. "We oppose FIFA's plans. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football and always will."
The dispute centres on FIFA's plan to bring private investment into the World Cup, a proposal that has drawn rapid and vocal opposition from European football. With UEFA's members now aligned behind a boycott, the standoff sets up a direct confrontation between the European confederation and FIFA over the future and ownership of the sport's showpiece tournament.