• UEFA member associations unanimously voted to boycott FIFA events.
• This decision is a response to FIFA's plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
• FIFA plans to create a $20 billion subsidiary for event operations.
• FIFA's proposal has drawn criticism from various football bodies globally.
• UEFA insists the World Cup is not for sale and should not be treated as an investment product.

European football's governing body, UEFA, has announced a unanimous decision by its member countries to boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, if FIFA's controversial plan to sell stakes to private investors proceeds. This declaration followed an urgent online meeting of UEFA’s 55 member federations, where they expressed strong opposition to what they termed an "irresponsible" proposal from FIFA President Gianni Infantino, which is seen as a direct threat to the soul of the sport, according to aljazeera and reuters.

On July 30, UEFA issued a strong statement asserting that "the World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product" and that it will not support any plan that surrenders parts of the tournament to private ownership. UEFA emphasizes that the World Cup is a legacy built by generations of players and fans, thus, their national teams will abstain from participation in FIFA competitions as long as the proposal remains active, as reiterated in statements from reuters and lemonde.

The proposal from FIFA aims to create a $20 billion subsidiary – FIFA Forward Enterprise – for managing the World Cup and other events, allowing private investors to acquire up to 20% stakes. This has raised alarm across multiple soccer governing bodies, prompting UEFA and Concacaf to caution against the move, highlighting concerns over governance and the commercialization of the sport, stated npr and africanews.

FIFA, however, is moving forward with its consultation process on this controversial stake sale, defending its actions by asserting that the organization will retain decision-making power despite potential investments. FIFA states that it aims to provide a democratic platform allowing each of its 211 member associations to express their views on the proposals formulated, as per their recent communications, citing reuters for further details.