Uefa vote passes 55-0 at emergency meeting on Thursday
‘World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product’
European nations have unanimously agreed to boycott all Fifa competitions until football’s global governing body drops plans to sell off stakes in the World Cup.
In an emergency meeting on Thursday, Uefa member associations voted 55-0 to boycott.
A statement from Uefa said: “No Uefa national teams will participate in any Fifa competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that Fifa will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership.”
It added: “Uefa and its 55 member associations stand as one. We unanimously and unequivocally reject Fifa’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other Fifa competitions to private investors.
“The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. 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.”
