World Cup deal in danger of collapsing: After UEFA: Another association opposes FIFA plan

Following the threat of a World Cup boycott by European associations, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has suffered another major setback. The North and Central American Football Confederation (CONCACAF), responsible for North and Central America and the Caribbean, has also unanimously rejected the investor plans announced this week, as the confederation stated after a joint meeting.

This means that the three World Cup hosts, the USA, Mexico, and Canada, are also positioning themselves against Infantino, who had promised the 211 member associations four times the expected revenue. With 55 votes from the Europeans and 41 from North and Central America, it will likely be difficult for the FIFA boss to even secure a majority.

FIFA had announced its intention to generate billions of dollars through the potential sale of some of its commercial rights, including those related to the World Cup. According to reports, the world governing body set a deadline for approval of the planned investor deal and promised a special payment in return. The deadline is said to be September 19.

Associations Criticize Procedure and Deadline

A few hours earlier, UEFA had announced its unanimous boycott of all FIFA matches if the world governing body stuck to its announced plan. “Europe’s position is clear. We will never lend our legitimacy to this model. No one has the moral right to sell something they are merely holding in trust for the next generation,” UEFA stated.

While the associations in North and Central America did not threaten a boycott, they expressed their displeasure and sharp criticism regarding the lack of proper procedure, the artificially shortened deadline, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA bodies.

I agree to the display of external content. This may involve the transfer of personal data to third-party platforms. You can find more information in the privacy settings. These can be found at the very bottom of our page in the footer, allowing you to manage or revoke your settings at any time.