Uefa will hold an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the possibility of boycotting the World Cup as a means of exerting pressure on Gianni Infantino's plan to privatise the tournament.
The meeting comes as a response to the widespread anger in the European football community over Infantino's proposal, which has been met with fierce criticism from national associations, Uefa, and other stakeholders. The European Commission is also scrutinising whether Infantino's plan contravenes competition law protections afforded to sports federations.
A key factor driving the opposition to Infantino's plan is the unilateral manner in which it was announced, with little to no consultation with other football governance bodies. National associations are particularly upset that the plan was presented with a limited timeframe of 53 days before a binary vote, and that those who agree will be guaranteed higher returns.
Uefa has been in consultation with the European Commission to explore potential avenues of resistance against Infantino's plan. European Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef has already issued a scathing statement, hinting that the main avenue of resistance will be through competition law protections granted to sports federations.
Fifa's plan has provoked fury across the European game, with an alliance of major stakeholders gaining strength. The Football Association, European Leagues, European Football Clubs, the Union of European Clubs, the Football Supporters Association, and Football Supporters Europe have all released strident statements condemning the lack of proper process and demanding drastic change at the top of the game.
The anger is such that national associations are prepared to discuss the threat of boycott, or at least to use the idea as leverage to kill Infantino's plans. Infantino's leadership had initially wanted to get a Russian team into the World Cup in some form, only for European associations to insist they would boycott if that was the case, as seen at the outbreak of the Ukraine war in 2022.
Uefa's emergency meeting is set to take place at 2pm UK time on Friday, where the prospect of boycotting the World Cup will be discussed as a means of exerting pressure on Infantino's plan. The outcome of the meeting will have significant implications for the future of the World Cup and the governance of international football.
The European Commission's scrutiny of Infantino's plan could significantly alter Fifa's ability to operate in Europe, especially as regards its commercial activities. Any removal of protections could have far-reaching consequences for the sport as a whole.
Source: Yahoo Sports