European soccer governing body UEFA says it will boycott World Cup competitions over FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s plan to inject private money.

On Tuesday, FIFA confirmed its plans to sell a significant minority stake in a new entity that it is setting up to run its main events.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino with President of the United States Donald J. Trump during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026,

The Asian Football Confederation has joined the North, Central America and Caribbean football association and UEFA in opposition to FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s proposal to sell stakes in its competitions to private investors.

After UEFA threatened Thursday to boycott the World Cup over FIFA’s private equity proposal, FIFA appears ready to stand and fight. In a statement released late Thursday night — and early Friday morning in Europe — FIFA blamed the blowback over its plan to allow private investment into the World Cup on “erroneous reporting in the media” that disrupted its “planned consultation process” for member associations.

This is an updated version of an article that first appeared on The Athletic in May 2025. For an insight into the one-upmanship between FIFA, the world football governing body, and UEFA, its European counterpart,

FIFA faced ​renewed calls for transparency on Saturday after it abruptly shelved plans to sell a stake in the commercial rights to ‌the World Cup, a proposal that triggered fierce backlash from regional confederations that said they had been blindsided.

POLISH football chiefs expect to stage the U-20 Women’s World Cup as planned in September… despite Uefa’s boycott of Fifa competitions. Fifa president Gianni Infantino plunged