UEFA issued a statement regarding FIFA’s plan to establish a commercial subsidiary and sell relevant shares, announcing that all 55 member associations will boycott all FIFA competitions as long as the proposal remains on the table.
Joint Statement by UEFA and its 55 Member Associations
UEFA and its national associations will refrain from participating in competitions organised by FIFA
UEFA and its 55 member associations share an identical stance. We unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA’s proposal to transfer stakes in the FIFA World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors.
The World Cup must never be treated as an investment product. It stands as one of football’s greatest sporting legacies, built by generations of players, national teams and fans across all continents. No part of it should be handed over to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale.
A proposal with such far-reaching consequences for football has been developed behind closed doors and pushed close to approval without any substantive consultation with football governing bodies. This is extremely irresponsible and untenable. It represents not only a grave failure of leadership but also a breach of FIFA’s duty as the guardian of global football.
National associations worldwide are now faced with an ultimatum: accept the irreversible appropriation of football’s greatest competition, or bear the consequences. This is far from a so-called "democratic decision". It constitutes governance through intimidation — coercion that contradicts the organisation’s mission to steward global football.
Our opposition, however, goes well beyond procedural concerns.
Once external investors acquire equity in FIFA competitions, football will be transformed fundamentally. Commercial returns will become a permanent obligation, and investor expectations will translate into daily pressure. From that moment onward, every decision on the international match calendar, every ruling on competition regulations and every choice shaping football’s future will no longer be guided by what serves football best, but by what maximises shareholder interests.
This model has no place in world football. The future of the game must not be controlled by parties whose primary duty is to maximise financial returns. The interests of national associations, leagues, clubs, players and fans must not be subordinated to investor returns. Football cannot mortgage its future for financial gain.
Europe’s position is crystal clear: we will never legitimise such a model. Nobody holds the moral authority to sell assets that are merely held in trust to pass down through generations.
In light of discussions today, all national teams under UEFA will refuse to participate in any FIFA competitions until the proposal is fully withdrawn. This position remains in force unless the proposal is scrapped entirely and FIFA provides legally binding guarantees never to open its governance or competitions to private ownership again.
There should be no doubt: UEFA and its national associations will resist these plans with unwavering resolve.
The authority and value of institutions are sometimes defined not by what they are prepared to accept, but by the principles on which they refuse to compromise. Now is such a moment.
Some things are priceless and cannot be measured by money. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football, now and forever. As long as Europe has a voice, it will not be sold.
