UEFA will continue its efforts to unseat FIFA president Gianni Infantino, even after withdrawing its threat to boycott international football competitions. The move to abandon the boycott follows assurances that FIFA's controversial "Fifa Forward Enterprise" plan will not be revived.
The withdrawal of the boycott is set to be confirmed at UEFA's executive committee meeting in Monaco, which will allow six European teams to participate in the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup in Poland next week.
Despite the resolution of the immediate dispute, UEFA is reportedly confident in its ability to find a unity candidate to oppose Infantino in the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March. Winning the election will require the support of at least 106 of FIFA's 211 member associations.
UEFA has abandoned the strategy of attempting to force a vote of no confidence, a motion that would have required the backing of 159 member associations, a target deemed unrealistic. While no candidate has been formally identified, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is considered a potential contender. Nominations for the FIFA presidency are due by November 18.
Any challenge to Infantino is expected to be closely contested. Even if Infantino were to win, a narrow victory could still significantly undermine his legitimacy and presidency.
Last month, UEFA's 55 member associations had voted to boycott all FIFA competitions until the "Fifa Forward Enterprise" proposal was entirely dropped, with binding assurances that FIFA would not allow private ownership of its governance or competitions. FIFA welcomed the withdrawal of the boycott, stating it is "pleased that all qualified teams will be participating in the upcoming Under-20 Women's World Cup."