European football’s 55 member associations have voted to boycott FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, if FIFA proceeds with its controversial plan to sell minority stakes in its commercial operations to private investors.The decision was reached during an emergency UEFA meeting convened to discuss the proposal unveiled earlier this week by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.UEFA had already voiced strong opposition to the plan in previous statements, but Thursday’s meeting saw all 55 member associations unite behind the threat of a boycott should the proposal receive approval from FIFA’s member associations.In a strongly worded statement, UEFA insisted that the World Cup should remain under the control of the global football community.”The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product,” UEFA said.”It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies. It has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale.”If implemented, the boycott would apply to all FIFA competitions, including the FIFA Club World Cup, the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the FIFA World Cup.The standoff marks a significant escalation in the growing dispute between UEFA and FIFA over the future commercial structure of the world’s biggest football tournaments.Infantino’s proposal would see FIFA establish a commercial subsidiary responsible for managing its flagship competitions, with private investors allowed to purchase minority stakes in the business. FIFA believes the move could generate billions of dollars in additional revenue, a portion of which would be distributed to its 211 member associations.The proposal is expected to be voted on by FIFA’s member associations later this year, with UEFA making it clear that approval of the plan could lead to an unprecedented boycott of future FIFA tournaments.The first major test of UEFA’s position could come in October, when the Women’s World Cup qualifying play-offs are scheduled to take place.
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