Uefa Doubles Down on Fifa Boycott Threat

By Staff, Agencies

Uefa has reaffirmed its threat to boycott Fifa-run competitions, saying it has lost confidence in Fifa President Gianni Infantino despite the organization’s public backing of his leadership.

The move comes as criticism of Infantino grows, with global players’ union Fifpro accusing him of a “profound abuse of presidential power,” while South American football body Conmebol raised concerns over repeated unilateral decisions made without proper consultation.

Uefa said Fifa’s support for Infantino does not change its position, arguing that conditions set to avoid a boycott have not been met. The European body had demanded the withdrawal of the privately funded Fifa Forward Enterprise [FFE] scheme and guarantees that similar attempts to alter football governance would not happen again.

Although Fifa scrapped the controversial plan, Uefa said the move was insufficient and maintained that its concerns over Infantino’s leadership remain. If no agreement is reached before the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, the tournament could become the first affected by a Uefa-led boycott.

Meanwhile, tensions within Fifa have deepened, with several senior figures distancing themselves from Infantino.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger reportedly declined to attend a Fifa meeting in Morocco after criticizing plans linked to the World Cup’s commercial future, while other officials were absent from the gathering.

Additionally, several Uefa member associations have withdrawn support for Infantino’s expected fourth-term re-election, including the Football Association, which formally retracted its backing.

Fifpro also intensified pressure on Fifa, demanding governance reforms and greater player representation in decision-making.

The union said abandoning FFE did not erase the concerns exposed by the proposal, which it described as a secretive attempt to reshape football’s ownership and governance.

Conmebol later expressed concern over Fifa’s approach, criticizing decisions made without dialogue but stopping short of calling for immediate leadership changes. The South American body said it would not support actions outside established institutional procedures.

Elsewhere, Jordan Football Association President Prince Ali bin al-Hussein said Fifa had paid delayed funds owed to Jordan’s national team but insisted the payment would not change his opposition to Infantino’s leadership. He previously accused Fifa of pressuring associations over election support.

In contrast, Africa’s football confederation [Caf] unanimously backed Infantino, saying it supported Fifa’s handling of the FFE issue and remained focused on governance and transparency.