The European members of UEFA are planning to boycott FIFA's tournaments, including the men's and women's World Cups, if Gianni Infantino's proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup goes ahead.
At a virtual crisis meeting of Uefa's 55 member nations chaired by its president, Aleksander Ceferin, the decision was made to potentially boycott FIFA's tournaments if the proposal is approved.
FIFA's 211 member associations, including the English Football Association, have been promised windfalls of up to $40 million each if they agree to the proposal by the September 19 deadline.
The proposal, which was unveiled by Infantino only a few days ago, aims to set up a new company called FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would oversee commercial rights for every tournament.
The potential boycott represents a significant blow to Infantino's plans, with UEFA claiming that 'the soul and governance of football are not assets to trade.'
UEFA was the first to criticize the plans, and other governing bodies from South America, Asia, and Concacaf have followed suit, criticizing the proposal and the lack of consultation before the public announcement.
FIFA's aim is to increase revenue from future World Cup and Club World Cup tournaments by setting up a new company called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to deal with the commercial operations.
FIFA would retain the majority share in FFE, but the plan is to raise a further $4.2 billion through private investment, which has raised concerns over the influence of private investors in the decision-making process.
Private investors could also pressure FIFA into expanding the World Cup or hosting the tournament more frequently than every four years.
UEFA has reaffirmed its opposition to the proposal, with the threat of a boycott if other member associations vote through the proposal in September.
The boycott would cover all FIFA competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup, with the first hypothetical test of that stance potentially coming in October.
The English FA has publicly opposed the plans, saying: 'We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues and fully support the collective view.'
