UEFA has provisionally ended plans to boycott FIFA competitions in response to Gianni Infantino‘s failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors, but will work to ensure a “credible alternative” should he seek re-election as FIFA president.
News emerged on Thursday that UEFA had applied for the release of documents related to the conception of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan as it seeks to take criminal legal action against Infantino in Switzerland.
Infantino’s planned scheme sparked outrage across the football world, with UEFA, European football’s governing body, threatening to withdraw its teams from FIFA competitions.
Having received assurances that the FFE plan will not be revived, UEFA will allow its member nations to compete in FIFA competitions in the coming season.
However, following a meeting in Monaco ahead of the draws for this season’s European club competitions, UEFA made it clear that the withdrawal of the FFE proposals could not restore the loss of trust in Infantino.
In a statement, UEFA said its president Aleksander Ceferin and its administration had been unanimously mandated to “pursue every available institutional, political and legal avenue necessary to secure fundamental reform, restore proper limits on presidential authority and ensure that FIFA is once again governed as an institution”.
UEFA said the first step must be an independent external review of the FFE plan, with “full access to all relevant documents and communications”.
Infantino is scheduled to run unopposed next March as he seeks re-election as president.
However, should he indeed seek a term another term, UEFA said it would “join forces with its partner confederations to ensure that Member Associations are offered a credible alternative – one committed to integrity, accountability, development and genuine institutional change”.
Infantino has served as FIFA president since 2016, taking over after predecessor Sepp Blatter resigned in 2015 amid a corruption probe and was subsequently banned for eight years by the body’s ethics committee.
UEFA statement in full
Shortly after news of its plan to pursue criminal proceedings against Infantino emerged, UEFA released a lengthy statement, which read:
“Meeting in Monaco on the occasion of the 2026/27 UEFA club competition draws, National Association representatives serving on the UEFA Executive Committee and European FIFA Council members were joined by the Presidents of European National Associations present in Monaco to discuss the continuing crisis at FIFA.
“The meeting reviewed the fallout from the FIFA President’s aborted attempt to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup to outside investors – a scheme which exposed a profound failure of judgement, an abuse of presidential power and a conception of leadership incompatible with the duties of the highest office in world football.
“Those present unanimously mandated the UEFA President and Administration to pursue every available institutional, political and legal avenue necessary to secure fundamental reform, restore proper limits on presidential authority and ensure that FIFA is once again governed as an institution – not around one individual.
“The first step must be a genuinely independent external review of FIFA Forward Enterprise, with full access to all relevant documents, communications and decision-making records. FIFA cannot investigate itself and expect the football community simply to accept its conclusions.
“But the consequences of this crisis go beyond governance. The trust required to exercise the office of FIFA President has been broken and cannot be restored by withdrawing one proposal, issuing assurances or promising reform after the event. World football now needs new leadership capable of rebuilding that trust.
“UEFA will therefore continue working with Confederations, Member Associations and the wider football community – including fans, players, clubs, leagues and others – to shape the future of FIFA. Should the current FIFA President nevertheless seek another mandate, UEFA will join forces with its partner confederations to ensure that Member Associations are offered a credible alternative – one committed to integrity, accountability, development and genuine institutional change.”
The statement continued by questioning why Infantino felt the need to secure outside investment when FIFA reportedly had reserves of $2.7billion at the end of 2025. It also confirmed that plans for a FIFA competition boycott had been shelved following guarantees there would be no revival of the FFE proposals.
“FIFA has currently billions of dollars in reserves,” it continued. This money belongs to the Member Associations.
“Together with other Confederations, UEFA will jointly explore a responsible release of part of FIFA’s reserves for the benefit of the Member Associations – while at the same time ensuring that any proposal preserves FIFA’s financial stability. The question is therefore why the FIFA President believed he needed outside investors to expand development funding.
“The delegates were also informed that FIFA has now confirmed in writing to UEFA that the FIFA Forward Enterprise project has been “irrevocably and permanently withdrawn” and that it “will not re-appear in any other shape, construction, name or form”.
“Having now secured the two assurances it required from FIFA on 30 July, and following consultation with its National Associations, UEFA has therefore agreed to suspend, on a provisional basis, the withdrawal by European teams from FIFA competitions in the coming season, including the Women’s U20 World Cup, U17 World Cup and the Women’s U17 World Cup. This position will remain under constant review and may be reconsidered immediately if circumstances so require.
“While the immediate question of participation has now been resolved, the underlying crisis has not.
“The abandonment of FFE does not erase the deception, intimidation and abuse of power that made it possible. Nor does it restore the confidence that has been lost.
“This is not a choice between good governance and football development. Nor is this about Europe seeking greater power within FIFA. It is simply about ensuring that no part of world football – large or small, those with more and those with less – is dependent on the power of one individual.
“FIFA has a fundamental responsibility to support every Member Association and this responsibility must be strengthened, not weakened. But development is an institutional obligation – not a presidential favour – and no Member Association should ever have to choose between the resources to which it is entitled and the freedom to exercise its own judgement.
“UEFA’s position remains unequivocal: whether it is the World Cup or an Under-15 tournament, FIFA’s competitions are not for sale. Neither is the governance of our game. FIFA’s development resources must likewise never become instruments of personal or political influence. They belong to world football and must be protected by transparent, objective rules.
“FIFA must once again be governed as an institution serving football – not operate as an instrument of individual power.”
FIFA has not responded to a request for comment regarding UEFA’s plans for criminal action against Infantino.
