UEFA boycott at the 2030 World Cup? European member associations to meet on Friday to discuss plans

There seems to be a war brewing between the two major governing bodies in soccer. FIFA just crowned Spain the World Cup winners early this month, but now that the tournament is done, UEFA, Europe’s governing body is talking about boycotting the next World Cup in 2030.

FIFA and UEFA at odds

It’s unfortunate that after such a fantastic World Cup we are talking about controversy and boycotts. The play on the pitch was fantastic, but the administration was and continues to be problematic. FIFA did some unprecedented things throughout the tournament and is looking to do something that is unheard of in the sport of soccer.

Following this summer’s tournament, Gianni Infantino is proposing a plan to raise $20 billion by selling private equity to outside investors. This would fund the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) which would control commercial and event operations in future men’s and women’s World Cups. The president of FIFA said the plan is to, “unleash the commercial potential and opportunity that FIFA has.”

UEFA was quick and blunt in their response saying that soccer “isn’t for sale,” on Tuesday.

Now UEFA is planning an emergency meeting on Friday, assembling its 55 members, to discuss among other things a boycott of the 2030 World Cup should this “selling of the sport” go through. UEFA went on to condemn this idea with an official statement. “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross,” UEFA’s statement said. “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.”

FIFA elections coming soon

This isn’t the only controversial decision that Infantino has made. Ticket prices were insanely high for this World Cup. Hydration breaks in the middle of both halves were seen as an excuse to sell advertising and the red card rescinded on the USMNT’s Folarin Balogun after a call from President Trump seemed to be in direct violation of the rule of the game.

The privatization of the sport would jeopardize the integrity of the game and that seems to be the most important thing that UEFA is trying to protect. “The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade -- especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially,” concluded UEFA in their official statement.

Infantino became somewhat of a villain during this World Cup. He miraculously seemed to be at every game, and when his face was shown on the big screens in stadiums across Mexico, the United States, and Canada he was met with a chorus of boos and jeers. This is just another reason that fans could turn on the FIFA president who is up for reelection on November 18th of this year.

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