UEFA to boycott next World Cup if FIFA President's plan approved, CONCACAF rejects FIFA's plan

The governing body of soccer in Europe, UEFA, has announced its intention to boycott the next World Cup should FIFA President Gianni Infantino's plan to sell stakes in the tournament to private equity be realized.UEFA member federations agreed on Thursday that European national teams and member clubs will boycott all FIFA competitions should Infantino's plan be approved."UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions," the federation said after a meeting of all its 55 members."This is not merely a profound failure of leadership but an abdication of FIFA's duty as the custodian of world football," the statement continued."The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in FIFA competitions, football changes forever. Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure."Infantino's plan was revealed on Tuesday after being leaked to the press..The plan entails selling off the commercial arm of the not-for-profit with 20% being owned by private investors and equity firms.The main driver of this is not just the FIFA president but also Joshua Kushner, the brother of American President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who runs a private equity firm out of New York.Infantino had reportedly been sizing up an offer of $20 million to each national confederation that would agree to his plan, an attempt to pit less wealthy confederations against each other.The plan sparked significant backlash across the footballing world as federations, players, and fans accused Infantino of selling the sport to the highest bidder.The boycott by UEFA will likely scupper these plans, as despite just being one of seven continental confederations, UEFA hosts the most successful leagues, teams, and players, giving it an outsized importance in the global footballing landscape..After the news of a potential UEFA boycott, the North American soccer federation CONCACAF announced their intention to reject the plan from FIFA and, although not joining with the boycott alongside UEFA. .The statement says that all 41 member associations of CONCACAF, including the Canadian Soccer Association, agreed to reject FIFA plan.The statement says that member associations "expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies. In addition, the need for private equity investment to fund new and existing FIFA Forward programs following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history was questioned."They ended the statement by saying "Through these actions, Concacaf reaffirms that football's future—and its greatest asset—must remain in the hands of our football family."

UEFA to boycott next World Cup if FIFA President's plan approved, CONCACAF rejects FIFA's plan

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