CONCACAF backs UEFAs World Cup boycott over FIFA investment proposal

CONCACAF, the governing body for football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, announced on Thursday that it will back its European counterpart, UEFA, in boycotting the International Federation of Association Footballs (FIFA) proposal to bring private investment into its competitions, including the World Cup. On Tuesday, FIFA unveiled plans to create a commercial subsidiary to manage its flagship tournaments, opening the door for private investors to acquire minority stakes. The proposal was spearheaded by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who was under fire recently after United States president Donald Trump admitted to calling him to request a review of US striker Folarin Balogun’s ban during the World Cup, among other controversies. According to the world football’s governing body, the proposal would “invite third parties to make minority, non-controlling investments” in a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The proposal requires the support of 106 of FIFA’s 211 member associations to pass. However, the Union of European Football Associations voted Thursday to reject the plan and agreed to boycott the World Cup if its approved. “The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product,” UEFA said in a statement, adding that “No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors.” Central and North America agrees Later that day, CONCACAF became the first of FIFA’s other continental confederations to back UEFA’s position. “History has shown FIFA and the football family what happens when the custodians of the game lose sight of [values like service, transparent governance, and long-term stewardship],” CONCACAF said in a statement. The confederation added that its members “expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies.”  It also questioned the need for private equity investment […] following the most profitable FIFA World Cup. Other confederations weigh in CONCACAF and UEFA are not alone. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also came out against FIFA’s proposal on Friday. That leaves South America’s CONMEBOL, Africa’s CAF and Oceania’s OFC as the only continental confederations yet to publicly support or oppose the proposal. However, those three confederations represent 75 FIFA members, meaning that even if they supported Infantinos proposal, their votes alone would not be enough to secure the 106 needed for the proposal to pass. The Herald reached out to the Argentine Football Association for comment and is awaiting a response. Cover image: FIFA twitter