Concacaf turns against FIFA as UEFA threatens boycott over World Cup privatization plan
“Some things are simply too important to sell,” UEFA said in a statement. “The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”
GENEVA — North America’s soccer body on Thursday rejected FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors, joining European nations in opposition.
The 41-member Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) held an urgent meeting Thursday after UEFA members agreed to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions to protest Infantino’s plan.
“During the meeting,” CONCACAF said in a statement, “the membership expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies.
“In addition, the need for private equity investment to fund new and existing FIFA Forward programs following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history was questioned.”
U.S. Soccer offered a grand total of a one-sentence statement: “U.S. Soccer stands with Concacaf and its members.” A spokesperson said that was all the federation will say for now.
UEFA made its declaration after an urgent online meeting of the confederation’s 55 members.
“UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions,” the European soccer body said in a statement. “Some things are simply too important to sell. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”
The strategy meeting was called to counter Infantino’s offer of $20 million to each of FIFA’s 211 global members that has to be accepted by mid-September.
Infantino’s secret proposal was revealed Tuesday to spin off its commercial operations in a new $20 billion subsidiary 20% owned by private investors. The core investor would be a New York investment firm created by Joshua Kushner, the brother of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
“This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the custodian of world football,” said UEFA, where Infantino was a longtime staffer and its CEO-like general secretary when he was first elected to lead FIFA in 2016.
“The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in FIFA competitions, football changes forever,” UEFA said. “Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure.”
Infantino has presented the private equity offer as a chance to “turbocharge” funding development of soccer across the world. A majority of the 211 FIFA members rely on its funding.
Officials from about 40 UEFA members spoke at the urgent meeting, with anger expressed that FIFA is not using some of its multibillion reserves to fund extra development programs.
The next scheduled FIFA tournament is in Europe — the Women’s Under-20 World Cup hosted by Poland starting Sept. 5. The following month, Europe stages its last qualifying playoffs for next summer’s women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Inquirer staff writer Jonathan Tannenwald contributed to this article.
