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UEFA may lift FIFA boycott threat amid crisis talks

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • UEFA is considering lifting its threat to boycott FIFA competitions, with discussions planned among its 55 member federations.
  • The boycott threat, issued in July, was in response to FIFA President Gianni Infantino's proposal to house World Cup revenues in a commercial entity open to private investors.
  • While Infantino abandoned the initiative, UEFA maintained its threat, demanding assurances against future similar attempts; the potential boycott is now linked to the upcoming FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

UEFA, European football's governing body, is reportedly considering withdrawing its threat to boycott FIFA competitions. This potential shift comes nearly a month after UEFA and its 55 member federations unanimously declared they would boycott all FIFA events. The move was a rare show of force against FIFA President Gianni Infantino, stemming from his controversial proposal to place World Cup revenues into a commercial company accessible to private investors.

UEFA could lift its threat to boycott FIFA competitions on Thursday while maintaining pressure on the current head of world football.

— Concordant sourcesIndicating a potential shift in UEFA's stance.

Although Infantino has since abandoned the initiative, European football officials maintained their boycott threat. They demanded guarantees that such attempts to "disfigure football" would not be repeated. Discussions regarding the potential lifting of the boycott are scheduled to take place in Monaco on Thursday, coinciding with the Champions League draw, where UEFA leaders will confer with representatives from its member federations.

The European body will discuss the issue with the leaders of its 55 member federations, on the sidelines of the Champions League draw scheduled for Thursday.

— Source close to the matterDetailing the planned discussions regarding the boycott threat.

Sources suggest that UEFA's softening stance is partly influenced by the impending FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, scheduled to be held in Poland from September 5 to 27. Poland, which has insisted on hosting the tournament despite the crisis, faces an untenable situation if a boycott were to occur. Furthermore, several prominent European nations are preparing to participate in the event.

In a rare show of force, UEFA and its federations had 'unanimously' threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions on July 30.

— Le FigaroRecounting the initial decision to threaten a boycott.

The French Football Federation (FFF) has indicated that its position has consistently been to lift the boycott threat once Infantino withdrew his proposal, without requiring additional future guarantees. Meanwhile, UEFA, in alliance with the CONCACAF and AFC confederations, continues to advocate for Infantino's departure. However, with the election for FIFA president not scheduled until March 18, 2027, and Infantino currently the sole candidate, the confederations face the challenge of convincing individual member federations to turn against the current leadership and find alternative candidates.

The upcoming softening of the European position is mainly linked to the imminence of the U-20 Women's World Cup.

— Source familiar with football bodiesExplaining a key factor influencing UEFA's potential change of stance.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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