European football's governing body, Uefa, is set to hold an emergency meeting on Thursday, 29 July 2026, at 2pm UK time. The central topic for discussion will be the prospect of boycotting the World Cup, a move intended as leverage against Fifa President Gianni Infantino's controversial plan to privatise the tournament.
Infantino's proposal has sparked significant anger across the European game, particularly due to its unilateral nature and the limited 53-day timeframe given for a binary vote. Major stakeholders, including the Football Association, European Leagues, and Football Supporters Association, have already voiced strong condemnation, with some demanding significant changes at the top of the sport.
Uefa is also consulting with the European Commission, which is scrutinising whether Infantino's project breaches competition law protections. European Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef has reportedly intimated that this could be a main avenue of resistance, as a shift towards private interests could alter Fifa's ability to operate commercially in Europe.
National associations are reportedly prepared to discuss the boycott threat, or at least use the idea to challenge Infantino's plans. Sources within associations have highlighted a similar tactic used in 2022 during the Ukraine war, where European associations insisted on a boycott if a Russian team was included in the World Cup.