MONACO — UEFA member federations are meeting in Monaco on Thursday ahead of the Champions League draw to end the boycott threat. Lifting the boycott allows England, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and host Poland to take part in the tournament. France and Spain named their squads for the tournament last week. The United States, Brazil, and Argentina are also participating in the 24-nation tournament.

FIFA stated it "strongly believes that football has the power to unite, even in challenging circumstances, and looks forward to welcoming all teams and players to Poland." The conflict originated when Gianni Infantino proposed a $20 billion subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, to control FIFA commercial rights including the World Cup. The proposal involved selling a stake to investors led by Joshua Kushner’s New York fund. Initial funding from the deal was intended to provide $20 million to each of FIFA’s 211 member federations.

Joshua Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. FIFA member federations were given a mid-September deadline to accept the proposal.

Infantino withdrew the proposal within four days of its revelation following backlash from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and CONCACAF. UEFA sent a letter to FIFA threatening legal action following Infantino's sell-off plan. UEFA's legal team sent a preservation letter to FIFA, explicitly stating the European body is 'actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints' related to the FFE plan. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF, which governs football across North and Central America and the Caribbean, have joined UEFA in opposition to Infantino and are holding discussions regarding a potential vote of no confidence against the FIFA chief.

UEFA stated on August 1 that it had no confidence in Infantino’s leadership and signaled it would oppose his re-election. The Swedish Football Association confirmed it is exploring alternatives to Infantino for FIFA president, signaling growing internal pressure within FIFA member associations.

The Irish Football Association stated it will not vote for Infantino’s re-election next year. The Irish Football Association stated: "The proposal to sell part of Fifa's assets to a private equity firm without consultation, represents more than a failure of communication. In our view, it raises fundamental questions about strategy, governance and stewardship of our assets." The Irish Football Association stated: "We believe the time has come for change." The Football Associations of England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland have publicly withdrawn support for Infantino.

UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy stated she would not support a boycott of the U20 World Cup. Lisa Nandy stated: "I am not generally in favour of sporting boycotts full stop, because I think they divide people from one another. I think they unfairly penalise athletes and competitors who are not responsible for the reason that these boycotts take place." Lisa Nandy stated: "What I would like to see actually is football coming together, resolving this, a change of leadership, a change of direction and a very clear message that football belongs to its fans and it will not have women and girls penalised when the women's game is going from strength to strength. And our Lionesses are leading the world in that. Former players including Mikael Silvestre, Lucy Bronze, Emmanuel Petit, and David James published a statement saying change is necessary at the head of FIFA."

Mikael Silvestre posted a statement on X titled Enough is Enough!. Former players including Cafu, Christian Vieri, Pepe, and Esteban Cambiasso posted supportive messages for Infantino on social media. Christian Vieri stated: Over the past 10 years, we have seen the work Fifa and President Infantino have done to create representativity for players in football, which did not exist." Christian Vieri stated: "We will remain available to support the great evolution our game has seen this past decade, so that it keeps reaching and benefiting people of every country that plays football all around the world. Aleksander Ceferin said in a podcast interview: I'm not interested because of two reasons. One reason is that I love UEFA and I love working here, and I think that at a certain point.. It's time to also enjoy life a bit. And the second point is, my credibility is much, much higher if I'm not interested in the position." Aleksander Ceferin stated: "Things are changing every day. Every day, there are different discussions. I didn't speak with him. But there are two options. One option is that he realizes that he doesn't have the support, and that's not only a political support of the ones who vote, but the political support of football community, the political support of fans, the political support of the players, former players, coaches. And the second option that he goes to the elections in March, but in that case, I think he will have a candidate against him. I don't know yet who.""

Why It Matters

The withdrawal of the boycott threat resolves an immediate disruption to international competition, allowing the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup to proceed with full European participation. However, the underlying governance disputes remain unresolved as Infantino prepares to stand for a fourth term as president in March. If successful, Infantino’s tenure would extend to 15 years by the end of the term in 2031. The opposition from major confederations and national federations shows a deepening rift over financial transparency and decision-making processes within FIFA.

Qualifying playoffs for the 2027 Women’s World Cup are scheduled for October 9-13. FIFA set a November 18 deadline for candidates to enter the presidential contest. The FIFA presidential vote will take place in Rabat, Morocco, with 211 member federations voting. The outcome of this election will determine the future direction of global football governance and the relationship between FIFA and its continental members.

Timeline

On August 1, 2026, UEFA stated that it had no confidence in Infantino’s leadership and signaled it would oppose his re-election. On August 19, 2026, France and Spain named their squads for the tournament. On August 26, 2026, The Italian football federation FIGC announced it is withdrawing its support for Infantino in the upcoming elections.

On August 27, 2026, UEFA member federations are meeting in Monaco ahead of the Champions League draw to end the boycott threat. On September 5, 2026, Six European teams will participate in the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland. By mid-September 2026, FIFA member federations were given a deadline to accept the proposal. On November 18, 2026, FIFA set a deadline for candidates to enter the presidential contest. In March 2027, Infantino is scheduled to stand for a fourth term as president.

What's New

Christian Vieri stated: "Over the past 10 years, we have seen the work Fifa and President Infantino have done to create representativity for players in football, which did not exist." European Leagues President Claudius Schaefer stated: "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." FIGC president Giovanni Malagò stated: "We will continue to work alongside UEFA and other European federations to promote a vision of football based on merit, solidarity, sustainability, and the fans." Ceferin said in a podcast interview: "I'm not interested because of two reasons. One reason is that I love UEFA and I love working here, and I think that at a certain point.. it's time to also enjoy life a bit. And the second point is, my credibility is much, much higher if I'm not interested in the position." UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy stated she would not support a boycott of the U20 World Cup.

Infantino is scheduled to stand for a fourth term as president in March.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on the specific details surrounding Infantino. The primary source and additional sources report that UEFA is set to formally withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA competitions after receiving assurances that FIFA President Infantino’s World Cup selloff plan will not be revived. Irishtimes.com reports that Infantino proposed a $20 billion subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, to control FIFA commercial rights including the World Cup.