Uefa threatens World Cup boycott over Fifa private equity plan
European football's governing body has threatened to boycott the World Cup and lost confidence in Gianni Infantino after his secret attempt to sell competition stakes to private equity.
Uefa has threatened to boycott all Fifa competitions, including the World Cup, and declared it has lost confidence in president Gianni Infantino.
The crisis stems from Infantino's attempt to sell stakes in Fifa competitions to private investment firms, a move executed apparently without the knowledge of other stakeholders. For a European football industry heavily invested in international tournaments, a World Cup boycott would trigger severe commercial disruption. It also exposes a significant governance failure at the top of the global game.
The political fallout has been rapid. Concacaf, which worked closely with Infantino on the 2026 World Cup, has called for a "full review" of Fifa leadership. The Asian Football Confederation has also distanced itself from the president. Infantino was subsequently abandoned by two close allies: senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro and chief operating officer Kevin Lamour. He ultimately backtracked in the early hours of Saturday morning.
A fight for 106 votes
Uefa believes this is its best opportunity to remove Infantino before his re-election in March. While he could resign, the Swiss leader appears ready to fight. Uefa holds 55 of the 211 member associations and can easily trigger an extraordinary congress by securing the 43 written requests required.
However, actually removing the president requires 106 votes for a no-confidence motion. While 136 countries officially rejected the private equity plan, opposing a commercial idea is not the same as ousting a president. Africa, Conmebol and Oceania have not criticised Infantino, and nations like Qatar and Mexico have already backed him.
The sponsor threat
If Uefa forces a March election, it must find a unifying candidate. Because a European might struggle to secure global support, Concacaf president Victor Montagliani or AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa are seen as more viable alternatives. The deadline to announce a candidacy is 18 November.
Infantino remains defiant, stating his intent "was to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks". He is attempting to repair the damage day by day, recently securing praise from 2030 co-hosts Morocco and Egypt for cancelling his plan.
The decisive factor may ultimately lie outside football politics. During the 2015 Fifa scandal, major sponsors including Sony, Emirates, Castrol, Continental Tyres and Johnson & Johnson discontinued their deals. If current commercial partners distance themselves from the organisation over this governance crisis, Infantino's position would become financially untenable.
