UEFA has reinforced its threat to boycott the World Cup, stating that it has lost confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino and that the conditions required to avert a boycott have not been satisfied. The organization also criticized individuals whose professional advancement is linked to Infantino's favor.
Infantino has faced significant criticism following proposals to sell stakes in the World Cup, which prompted UEFA's initial threat to boycott the tournament. Although these plans have since been withdrawn, FIFA executives issued a statement on Wednesday expressing full support for Infantino while acknowledging that "mistakes were made" in the process. FIFA has since apologized in a letter to football associations and announced a review.
UEFA maintained that its associations had clearly outlined the conditions for their non-participation in FIFA competitions. "First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again," UEFA stated. "These conditions have not been met. In addition, UEFA made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency. That position holds."
UEFA's initial statement on Saturday had described Infantino's proposal to sell commercial and event operations as a "shabby, back room, opaque deal." Infantino convened a crisis meeting in Morocco on Wednesday, which concluded with a statement that FIFA's secretary general Mattias Grafstrom and other management board members reaffirmed their "full support for the president." The statement also asserted that FIFA "will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation."
FIFA acknowledged that "mistakes were made" but insisted that "everything that was done was done in full compliance with the FIFA regulatory framework." The statement was released hours after former football star Luis Figo publicly called for Infantino's resignation, describing the World Cup stake sale plan as the "lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed."
Figo, who previously backed Infantino in 2015, characterized the FIFA president as "a relic who should have no part in football’s future" and accused him of "a litany of abuses." Figo also referenced Infantino's decisions regarding a red card suspension for USA striker Folarin Balogun and the half-time show during the World Cup final. "Infantino has debased the office of FIFA president he promised to elevate," Figo wrote. "He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve."
Amid the criticism, Grafstrom had sent an all-staff memo describing the situation as "sad and reproachable." However, Grafstrom was later seen with Infantino at a women's Africa Cup of Nations game. Infantino faces re-election in March, where he would require 106 votes from FIFA's 211 members to secure another term.