From Ervin Baku: World football shaken, Europe threatens to withdraw from FIFA competitions

UEFA and its 55 member associations have issued a joint statement opposing FIFA’s proposal to give private investors ownership interests in the World Cup and other international competitions.

In the statement, UEFA describes any attempt to turn the World Cup into an investment asset as unacceptable, emphasizing that it is a global football treasure built over decades through the contribution of players, national teams, and millions of fans around the world. According to UEFA, the competition is not and will never be for sale.

The European organization also expressed concern over the way the project was presented, claiming it was developed without real consultation with national federations and without the necessary transparency. For UEFA, this represents a serious failure in the governance of world football.

According to the statement, if private investors become part of the ownership structure of FIFA competitions, every major decision regarding the international calendar, competition formats, or the development of football would be influenced by financial interests and shareholders’ expectations, putting the interests of the game in second place.

UEFA stressed that football cannot be governed solely by profit-driven logic and that the interests of federations, leagues, clubs, players, and fans must remain the priority.

The statement also reveals that, as long as this proposal remains in place, no national team from UEFA member countries will participate in FIFA competitions.

The organization is calling for the complete withdrawal of the project and guarantees that FIFA’s governance and competitions will never again be opened to private ownership.

In conclusion, UEFA emphasized that some values cannot be commercialized. According to the organization, the World Cup belongs to football and to the generations that will inherit it, while Europe will continue to defend this principle without compromise.

“KORÇA BOOM”