UEFA set to lift World Cup boycott after Infantino's Fifa sell-off plan collapses

UEFA is set to formally end its boycott threat against Fifa tournaments after Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell off stakes in Fifa competitions collapsed, with European football’s governing body preparing to tell its executive committee and member association presidents at a meeting in Monaco on Thursday that its conditions for standing down have been satisfied.

Last month, UEFA and all 55 of its member associations announced they would boycott every Fifa-sanctioned tournament until Infantino dropped the sell-off proposal and provided assurances that no similar attempt to restructure the game’s finances would be made again. According to a report by The Guardian, UEFA bosses are now satisfied that both conditions have been met.

The timing carries practical urgency. Six European nations, including England, are due to travel to Poland on Monday for the Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup, which begins on 5 September. The resolution also clears the path for the senior England women’s side, who face play-offs later this year in their bid to qualify for next summer’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Yet while the boycott threat appears to be over, UEFA’s opposition to Infantino personally remains firmly in place. Multiple European associations have already withdrawn their support for him ahead of next year’s Fifa presidential election, and the question of his future is expected to dominate Thursday’s Monaco meeting.

Infantino is facing pressure from beyond Europe too. Asia’s AFC and Concacaf, which governs football across North and Central America and the Caribbean, have joined UEFA in opposing his leadership, and the sport’s regional bodies have held discussions about a potential vote of no confidence against the Fifa president.

Among the concerns raised are the inaugural Fifa peace prize awarded to US president Donald Trump in December, and the overturning of a competition ban for American forward Folarin Balogun during this year’s World Cup following a call from Trump.

European Leagues president Claudius Schaefer, speaking in an interview published on Wednesday, was unequivocal about Infantino’s prospects. Representing 53 professional men’s and women’s competitions across the continent, Schaefer said: “We question his suitability to continue as president. Here in Switzerland, we’ve had a close view of Fifa and it seems that the influence of the president has grown from year to year. Major decisions are taken without meaningful consultation with stakeholders.”

UEFA had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.