UEFA temporarily walks away from FIFA competitions—here's why
UEFA announced that its 55 member associations will not take part in FIFA competitions as long as the governing body maintains its proposal to open ownership stakes in tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup, to private investors.
UEFA announced that its 55 member associations will not take part in FIFA competitions as long as the governing body maintains its proposal to open ownership stakes in tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup, to private investors.
The decision followed a meeting in which Europe's football associations discussed FIFA's plan to create a subsidiary that would commercialize its competitions.
What is FIFA proposing?
According to UEFA, FIFA wants to create a subsidiary that would allow ownership stakes in competitions such as the World Cup and other tournaments to be transferred to private investors.
UEFA believes that such a move would turn the World Cup into an investment asset and fundamentally change how decisions about the future of football are made.
Why does UEFA oppose the plan?
UEFA stated that the World Cup "is not for sale" and argued that no part of the competition should ever be transferred to private investors.
The organization also criticized what it described as a lack of meaningful consultation with national associations and other stakeholders before the proposal advanced.
UEFA said that if outside investors acquire ownership interests in FIFA competitions, future decisions on the international calendar, tournament formats and other key issues could be driven by commercial interests rather than by what is best for the sport.
What happens next?
UEFA reaffirmed that none of its member associations will participate in FIFA competitions while the proposal remains in place.
The organization said it would only reconsider its position if FIFA completely withdraws the plan and provides binding guarantees that it will never again open the ownership or governance of its competitions to private investors.
UEFA concluded by saying it will continue to oppose the proposal, insisting that the FIFA World Cup belongs to football and should never become privately owned.
