European soccer teams say they will boycott FIFA competitions over World Cup sale plan

GENEVA (AP) — UEFA member federations agreed Thursday to boycott all FIFA competitions in protest of Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors. “UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions,” the European soccer body said after an urgent online meeting of the 55 members. “Some things are simply too important to sell,” UEFA said in a statement. “The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.” The strategy meeting was called to counter FIFA president Infantino’s offer of $20 million to each of FIFA’s 211 global members that has to be accepted by mid-September. Infantino’s secret proposal was revealed Tuesday to spin off its commercial operations in a new $20 billion subsidiary 20% owned by private investors.

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