Europe's 55 football associations have voted to boycott all FIFA competitions if the world governing body proceeds with plans to sell stakes in the World Cup and other tournaments to private investors. The decision was made at an emergency meeting called to discuss the proposal announced earlier this week by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
CONCACAF, which governs football in North and Central America, said its 41 member associations have "rejected" the proposal after meeting on Thursday. Sources say the CONCACAF nations are also losing faith in Infantino.
UEFA had already made its opposition clear, releasing two damning statements. On Thursday, it said: "The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of football's greatest sporting legacies. It has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale."
FIFA wants to create a commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to run its main events and allow external investors to buy minority stakes. Infantino has written to members offering $40 million if they back his proposal, with a deadline of September 19 to access an initial $20 million.
The plan needs 106 votes from FIFA's 211 members to pass. UEFA and CONCACAF together account for 96 associations, which appear set to vote against. The first test of the boycott threat could come in October with the Women's World Cup play-offs.
FA chairwoman Debbie Hewitt and chief executive Mark Bullingham were among those who spoke during UEFA's meeting, with the atmosphere described as venomous due to the strength of feeling against the proposals. Despite being one of eight FIFA vice-presidents, Hewitt had no knowledge of Infantino's discussions.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "This is a principled decision that we strongly support. Football belongs to the fans, not billionaire investors. Enough is enough. It's time to take a stand to protect our game."
Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters' Europe, told the BBC that UEFA's stance was "very impressive" and a "proper show of force. It is the response that football needed - it is the response Gianni Infantino deserved."
Former FA chairman David Bernstein said: "Infantino's got to back down. This deal is not acceptable. In a normal organization, if he has to back down on something of this magnitude, it would probably mean he'd be shown the door. But FIFA is not a normal organization."
The Asian Football Confederation said it was disappointed it had not been consulted. The Confederation of African Football will hold a meeting next week to evaluate the proposals. The World Leagues Association asked FIFA to withdraw its project, and the Premier League wholeheartedly endorses that view.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk