Uefa World Cup boycott may be raised over Fifa plan

What the report says

BBC Sport reports that Uefa’s 55 national associations are due to hold an emergency virtual meeting this week to consider their response to Fifa proposals that would create a new commercial subsidiary for major competitions, including the World Cup. Under the plan described by Fifa, outside investors could buy stakes in the entity, with the governing body saying the structure would help increase funds available to member associations worldwide.

According to the BBC, Uefa reacted before the proposals were formally published, following reports in the Financial Times and The Times, and said the idea had “crossed a line.” The Football Association said it had not been consulted before Fifa issued its plans. BBC Sport says that, given the level of concern among European officials, the prospect of a World Cup boycott is likely to be raised, though no decision has been reported.

The dispute matters because Uefa represents only 55 of Fifa’s 211 members but includes many of football’s strongest national teams. BBC Sport noted Europe’s recent influence at major tournaments, including Spain’s latest World Cup win, and said any Fifa competition would be commercially weakened without European participation. Concerns cited in the report include investor influence, pressure to expand competitions, and further strain on an already crowded football calendar.

Fifa says the plan could raise global development funding to $10bn and offer each member association access to up to $20m in one-off capital. The row adds to recent tensions between Fifa and Uefa, including earlier opposition to the idea of staging the World Cup every two years.