UEFA vows World Cup boycott as Concacaf, AFC reject FIFA private equity plan - ESPN

UEFA to boycott WC; Concacaf rejects FIFA plan

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play<br>Infantino: FIFA proposal a golden opportunity for development (3:02)

Mark OgdenJul 31, 2026, 04:54 AM ET

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European nations agreed to boycott all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, after an emergency meeting on Thursday resolved to "unequivocally reject" FIFA president Gianni Infantino's plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to a private equity group.<br>Infantino's proposal was later dealt another major blow when North America's soccer body Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), joined European counterpart UEFA in rejecting the plan.<br>Editor's Picks<br>Infantino to FIFA members: Back WC plan for $40mESPN News Services

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2 Related<br>The decision of UEFA's 55 members means that major nations including Germany, France, England and world champions Spain would not participate in the men's or women's World Cups as long as FIFA's proposal remains active.<br>"UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions," UEFA said in a statement.<br>Following its own meeting later in the day, the 41-member Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football said it had also rejected the proposal.<br>Concacaf members include 2026 World Cup hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico. The U.S. Soccer Federation wrote on social media that it "stands with Concacaf and its members."<br>A damning statement from the AFC then called for an "urgent review" of FIFA's governance, saying it stood in solidarity with UEFA and Concacaf and that "fundamental weaknesses in FIFA's consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed."<br>FIFA president Gianni Infantino, alongside U.S. President Donald Trump, presented the World Cup trophy to Spain earlier this month. Pablo Morano/BSR Agency/Getty ImagesFIFA defended its proposed venture early Friday and said that "nobody is selling football" after broad criticism -- which it blamed "erroneous reporting in the media" for.<br>Infantino revealed plans earlier this week for the sale of a stake in FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE) that would raise $20 billion in exchange for influence over future World Cups including broadcasting and commercial deals linked to the tournament.<br>The effort is being bankrolled by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law.<br>It marks Infantino's latest effort to align with those in the orbit of Trump: by creating the FIFA peace prize, letting Trump intervene in a process that led to United States forward Folarin Balogun playing at the World Cup and now trying to lock in Joshua Kushner's investment firm to a 12-year ownership deal with the Switzerland-based not-for-profit soccer body.<br>The proposal would trigger over $80 million in payouts to each of FIFA's 211 member associations between now and 2037. Infantino had set a Sept. 19 deadline for associations to accept the plan, with a majority vote needed for it to be implemented.<br>Following a virtual meeting of UEFA's 55 member associations in...