Uefa’s 55 member associations voted to boycott all Fifa competitions following Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s proposal to sell stakes in competitions to private investors. Although Infantino subsequently apologized for his “errors” and the plans were abandoned, Uefa indicated the boycott could still proceed.
Women’s football would face the earliest consequences if Uefa maintains its position. The Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup is scheduled to begin on 5 September, with six European teams—England, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and hosts Poland—set to participate. England and other home nations also have World Cup qualifiers scheduled for October that would lead to participation in next summer’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil, which is set to start in June. The Under-17 Women’s World Cup is additionally scheduled for October in Morocco.
England defender Lucy Bronze stated that players support the boycott as necessary for the game’s long-term development. She emphasized the importance of considering future generations rather than immediate convenience. Former England defender Anita Asante previously warned that women’s football tournaments would be the first affected and that the impact could be substantial given the already congested schedule.
Baroness Campbell, a former Football Association director of women’s football, characterized the potential impact on women’s competitions as “tragic.” The English FA has withdrawn its support for Infantino, joining other individual associations including Wales, Albania, and Croatia in distancing themselves from the Fifa president.
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