On July 31, 2026, the non-profit fan network Football Supporters Europe (FSE) publicly opposed FIFA's proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup and called for reform within the world soccer governing body amid broad criticism.

UEFA nations unanimously voted to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments in response to the proposal. Asian and North-American confederations expressed solidarity with the European countries. Additionally, FIFA president Gianni Infantino's senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned in protest.

Stuart Dykes, FSE's director of European and Institutional Affairs, said fans were outraged by FIFA's plan. Speaking to Reuters, he emphasized, "Football is not for sale. It's a social good. Its value is created by the fans and the players and everyone else who go to make it such, you know, go to create that value in the first place. And that value is not for FIFA to extract in the interest of private investors."

Dykes criticized the lack of transparency surrounding the initiative, stating, "Decisions of this nature... cannot be taken behind closed doors by a small number of people. Many of them aren't even involved in football. They're private investors. FIFA has to reform itself."

He also highlighted UEFA's unified stance, noting that all 55 European nations agreed to boycott FIFA competitions, sending a strong message. "I think the whole of the football community stands behind UEFA on this," Dykes added.

This development marks a significant moment of dissent within the global football community regarding FIFA's governance and commercial strategies.

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