UEFA Poised to Lift FIFA Boycott Threat After World Cup Assurances

UEFA is poised to withdraw its threatened boycott of FIFA competitions after receiving assurances that the global governing body will not revive a proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup, according to reporting by The Guardian. The boycott has not yet been formally lifted, but European teams are now expected to be cleared for upcoming tournaments.

The dispute began after FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal became public. UEFA opposed the plan and maintained its boycott threat even after FIFA withdrew the proposal, arguing that it still lacked a guarantee that a similar attempt would not be made in the future.

The Guardian reports that FIFA has now supplied binding assurances through private correspondence. The assurances are understood to prevent any equivalent proposal from being put forward. UEFA and FIFA are understood to have held private discussions for several weeks despite their public disagreements, with the European governing body seeking terms it considered sufficient before removing the threat.

The immediate consequence concerns the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland. England named its squad last week and is due to play Canada in its opening match on September 5. France and Spain have also selected travelling squads in expectation of approval, while Portugal, Italy and host Poland are the other European participants.

UEFA’s executive committee and the heads of its member associations are scheduled to meet in Monte Carlo on Thursday, before the Champions League draw. The boycott is among the matters that could be discussed there. Until UEFA makes a public announcement, its threatened withdrawal from FIFA tournaments technically remains in place.

The apparent resolution of the competition issue does not settle the broader conflict between the organisations. According to The Guardian, UEFA’s position that Infantino should be replaced has not changed. Further discussion of how European football’s governing body will approach FIFA’s leadership is also expected at Thursday’s meeting, leaving the institutional dispute open even if European teams are allowed to compete.