European nations have agreed to boycott the World Cup over FIFA’s plans to sell stakes in the tournament to private investors.
The decision to boycott any competition run by FIFA was taken at a virtual meeting of the 55 national associations which are members of UEFA, the European football confederation, on Thursday, according to sources with knowledge of the meeting.
UEFA later confirmed the decision, with the organisation saying it and its members “unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors”.
“As a result of today’s discussion, no UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership,” it added.
The next World Cup in the calendar is the women’s edition in Brazil next summer, followed by the men’s tournament in Spain, Portugal and Morocco in 2030. Women’s World Cup qualifiers, which are organised by each continental confederation, are due to begin in October.