UEFA is set to withdraw its threat of a boycott against FIFA competitions after receiving binding assurances from the global governing body that it will never revive Gianni Infantino’s controversial plan to sell off a stake in the World Cup, according to a report from The Guardian.
The report states that European teams have been cleared to participate in the upcoming Under-20 Women’s World Cup and future tournaments, following FIFA’s written guarantees that no equivalent of the president’s ill-fated proposal will be pursued again.
Despite public clashes, UEFA and FIFA have reportedly been engaged in private discussions for several weeks to negotiate the terms of lifting the boycott threat. The European body has now obtained the reassurances it sought.
FIFA welcomed the end of the standoff, saying: “FIFA is pleased that all qualified teams will be participating in the upcoming FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup. FIFA strongly believes that football has the power to unite, even in challenging circumstances, and looks forward to welcoming all teams and players to Poland.”
The boycott has not yet been formally withdrawn by UEFA, whose executive committee and federation chiefs are scheduled to meet in Monte Carlo on Thursday. The 55 heads of UEFA’s member associations will gather before the Champions League draw, during what is traditionally a significant period in the European football calendar.
Earlier, UEFA had threatened a boycott after Infantino’s FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal came to light, and doubled down even after it was scrapped. The European body insisted that the condition that “such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again” had not been met at the time.
FIFA’s original plan was to create a semi-private subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise to sell minority, non-controlling stakes in the commercial operations of the World Cup and other tournaments. While retaining majority control, FIFA aimed to raise $4.2 billion from long-term investors. However, the move prompted UEFA to threaten a boycott, with its member associations unanimously voting to pull out of FIFA competitions in protest.