World War: The Rift Between FIFA and UEFA Threatens the Future of Football
UEFA and 55 football associations have threatened to boycott FIFA competitions in response to Gianni Infantino's plan to privatize the World Cup and bring in private investors linked to the Trump family.
Immediately upon entering his second term, Donald Trump signaled his intentions to acquire the island of Greenland from Denmark. A year later, at the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026, the US President made it clear that he was going to take over the island—by fair means or foul. During that year, European Union countries suffered from Trump's policies: tariffs, threats to withdraw from NATO, rapprochement with Vladimir Putin, and interference in internal politics. But Greenland became a watershed for EU leaders—the only conflict where they stood in full agreement, showing they were willing to pay a heavy price to defend their principles. Trump retreated.
Now, welcome to the football version of Greenland. For years, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been reshaping the institution under the comfort of oil money: alternative tournaments, an inflated World Cup, the 2030 World Cup across three continents, and the prospect of a tournament in Saudi Arabia. But privatizing the World Cup has crossed a red line.
Following an emergency meeting, the 55 members of the European organization, including Israel, made a dramatic decision: UEFA will boycott the World Cup and all FIFA competitions if Infantino's plan to bring private investors into the organization's enterprises is implemented. The plan includes selling management rights to private entities, including Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law. UEFA argues that this move will destroy sporting fairness by favoring those with the most financial resources.
The boycott is expected to apply to all FIFA competitions, with a vote scheduled for September. Despite the unified European front, UEFA representatives account for only about a quarter of FIFA members (55 out of 211), and Infantino is counting on support from Asia, Africa, and South America. If the deal goes through, Infantino is expected to earn tens of millions of dollars by heading the new company as commissioner after 2031.
On Tuesday, a letter was sent to the 211 associations with a threat: if the proposal is accepted, those who vote in favor will receive $40 million each, while those who vote against will receive $20 million less. The deadline is September 19th. FIFA plans to create "FIFA Forward Enterprise," valued at $20 billion, with "Thrive Capital," led by Joshua Kushner, as the primary investor.
"The World Cup is not a product," said UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham. "No one has the right to sell it." Infantino is banking on smaller associations for whom these dividends are a decisive argument. Infantino's idea represents a fundamental disruption of football, opening the door for investors to directly influence game rules, schedules, and tournament formats. Now, the football world must decide if it has the courage to expel the "big boss" and the Trump family from the sport.
