Uefa's statement was clear: "Uefa and its national associations will not participate in Fifa competitions." This definitive reaction came in response to Fifa president Gianni Infantino's plan to sell a 20% stake in a subsidiary company set up to run the World Cup.
Uefa's boycott threat will be activated if Infantino's funding deal is accepted. The deadline for countries to accept Fifa's deal is 19 September, and if they fail to do so, they will miss out on $20m (£15m) on 1 January.
The U20 Women's World Cup, starting on 5 September in Poland, is one of the competitions that will be affected. A senior European football source expressed uncertainty about the situation, saying, "Not sure the detail was considered when deciding the overall policy."
Uefa vice-president Laura McAllister emphasized that this is not a problem of Uefa's making, but rather a result of Fifa's actions. "This is not a problem of Uefa's making. It's a problem that Fifa have created," she said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Concacaf, which governs football in North and Central America, has also rejected the proposals. The organisation's statement said, "Our 41 members reject the proposals." The Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt is a Fifa vice-president and spoke out against the plan at Uefa's emergency meeting.
The Scottish FA president Mike Mulraney is also chair of Fifa's finance committee. The Scottish FA's statement said the organisation "agrees unequivocally" with Uefa's stance.
Fifa, however, has released a new statement claiming consultation over the proposals "was disrupted by incorrect media reports." It added, "Nobody is selling football. This is not something Fifa would ever entertain."
Infantino's plan to sell a stake in the subsidiary company has been met with fury from those who have spoken out. "Anger," said one source, when asked for the prevailing mood at Uefa's emergency meeting.
The Swiss president's future is now uncertain. He became Fifa president in 2016 and was due to stand for a fourth term in March. However, sources say that in addition to rejecting Infantino's plan, the vast majority of the Concacaf members are either losing faith in the Fifa president's ability to govern the game, or have lost it altogether.
There is talk of trying to find someone to stand against him in the election. The name of Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been mentioned. He is the president of Paris St-Germain and European Football Clubs. However, a source close to the 52-year-old said that he doesn't want the job.
The outcome of this situation is uncertain. "I don't know, in all honesty," said Uefa vice-president Laura McAllister. Former FA chairman David Bernstein was also asked the same question and replied, "In a normal organisation, if he had done something like this, he would probably be gone."
The next senior matches in a Fifa competition are the Women's World Cup play-offs in October, which feature England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Wales' involvement in the play-offs is particularly significant, as it would be their first qualification for a World Cup.
Source: Yahoo Sports