European nations are to hold discussions over boycotting the World Cup after UEFA hit out at a leaked FIFA plan to sell stakes in the competition in a move that could make its president Gianni Infantino millions.
News broke in The Times on Tuesday afternoon that FIFA boss Infantino was considering selling parts of the tournament to private investors and forming a new company in a deal that could be worth around £15billion, which the governing body later confirmed in a hastily-issued statement.
The report added that Infantino could become the commissioner of that company once his role at FIFA ends in 2031, a highly lucrative position that estimates suggest could pay him more than $50million-a-year.
The bank JPMorgan is said to be handling the process and the Donald Trump administration is understood to have been consulted.
The proposal has already received widespread criticism from across football, with one source telling The Times it would be a ‘nuclear bomb’ for the sport and another arguing it would ‘potentially be much worse than the European Super League’.
Now, according to Sky, UEFA members are set to hold an emergency meeting this week to discuss the possibility of skipping the competition and other details to oppose Infantino’s ideas.
That could mean the likes of World Cup holders Spain, as well as semi-finalists England and France, would no longer take part in the competition.
It is understood the English FA were completely unaware of the proposal before it was made public, and UEFA, which has been critical of FIFA and Infantino’s actions in recent times, hit out at the plans almost immediately.
‘This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross,’ they said in a statement. ‘UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football Association.
‘So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game.
‘The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade – especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.’
The potential boycott could come as early as next year, with the Women’s World Cup set to take place in Brazil in the summer.