UEFA takes U-turn on stance of boycotting major FIFA events after Gianni Infantino’s assurances

UEFA boss Alexander Ceferin has also said he expects Infantino to either resign or face a challenger in the Fifa presidential election in March

Published: August 26, 2026, 8:24 PM IST

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino (C) is seen in the stands before the round of 32 match between Canada and South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Los Angeles Stadium in Los Angeles, the United States, June 28, 2026(Photo: Xinhua via IANS)

UEFA will withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA competitions after receiving assurances that there will be no repeat of Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors, according to a report from BBC Sport.

The issue will be discussed at an executive committee meeting in Monaco on ThursdayA decision to end the boycott threat would allow the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland next month to go ahead as planned.

England, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and hosts Poland are among the six European teams scheduled to take part in the tournament.

Earlier this month, UEFA said the conditions needed to prevent a boycott had not been met, even though Infantino’s controversial proposal had been withdrawn after facing strong oppositionThe European association had demanded guarantees that plans of this nature would not be brought back in the future.

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Infantino had previously informed all the member associations that the FIFA Forward Enterprises proposal was now off the tableHe also apologised for what he described as errors during the process.

The proposal had led to a major dispute between FIFA and UEFA with European football’s governing body taking the lead in opposing the plans.

Last month, all 55 European football associations voted to boycott FIFA competitions unless the Forward Enterprises proposal was completely abandoned and binding assurances were provided that the governing body would not allow private ownership of its competitions or governance in the future.

The expected decision to lift the boycott threat is not being viewed as a change in UEFA’s position towards InfantinoA source close to the discussions told BBC Sport that the European body’s opposition to the FIFA president would continue.

The source said the decision was not a defeat for UEFA but a move to ensure young players are not affected by the disputeThe U-20 Women’s World Cup will be a major opportunity for the players involved and a boycott would have meant European teams missing the tournament.

Aleksander Ceferin has also made it clear that he wants changes at the top of FIFAHe has said he expects Infantino to either resign or face a challenger in the Fifa presidential election in March.

The disagreement is therefore expected to continue even if UEFA formally ends its boycott threat.