UEFA maintains World Cup boycott threat after Infantino's crisis meeting

FIFA president Gianni Infantino and president of Moroccan Royal Football Federation Fouzi Lekjaa attend a Women's AFCON 2026 soccer match between Malawi and Zambia, in Rabat, Morocco. (AP)

NYON, Switzerland, Aug 6 (AP): European soccer's governing body has retained its threat to boycott FIFA competitions despite FIFA apologizing for its failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.

UEFA on Thursday reiterated that it had lost confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino and said conditions to withdraw its boycott threat had not been met.

"UEFA’s associations were very clear about the conditions attached to the non-participation in FIFA competitions," it said in a statement. "First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn, and secondly, assurances had to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way would never be made again.

"These conditions have not been met. In addition, UEFA made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency. That position holds.”

FIFA and Infantino tried to present a united front following a high-level summit in Morocco, when it announced the president had the full support of top staff in attendance.

The world governing body also apologized for errors made over its controversial plan to sell profits in the World Cup through a commercial subsidiary and committed to "ensure they do not happen again.”

FIFA said it hoped its meeting would "help restore confidence” in the organization after the turbulence created by Infantino’s now-abandoned project, which provoked widespread condemnation.

UEFA voted to abandon FIFA competitions if it went ahead. And even after Infantino’s hasty climbdown, Europe’s governing body said it had lost confidence in FIFA’s leadership - paving the way for a challenge to his presidency.

In its defiant statement, UEFA made it clear that its position still held.

"Yesterday’s announcement that some people employed by the FIFA president (and whose careers depend on his favor) agree with him changes nothing,” it said.

FIFA said it had apologized for errors made over Infantino’s failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and that senior staff in attendance at a crisis meeting in Morocco "reaffirmed their full support” for his presidency.

World soccer's governing body attempted to present a unified front amid the turbulence caused by Infantino's controversial plans, with calls for him to step down.

In a statement, FIFA said Secretary-General Mattias Grafström and members of the management board in attendance in Rabat had given their support to the embattled president.

Referring to the plans to sell profits in the World Cup through a commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), the statement said "mistakes made were acknowledged” and that the "process should have been handled differently."

FIFA said a letter had been sent to the FIFA Council and member associations apologizing for errors and committed to "ensure they do not happen again.”

Grafström’s stated support was notable after he distanced himself from Infantino’s now-abandoned plans in an email to all FIFA staff calling the last week a "sad and reproachable series of events.”

FIFA said Infantino had also reaffirmed his support for his secretary general.

World soccer’s governing body said the FFE proposal was "now off the table.”