European football governing body Uefa has stated that Fifa's backing of its president, Gianni Infantino, "changes nothing" amid ongoing tensions over a proposed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

The English Football Association (FA) has formally withdrawn its support for Infantino in response to the controversial plan. Despite the plan being aborted, Uefa said in a statement that its conditions had not been met. "First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly," Uefa added, "assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again."

Uefa has previously expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino, describing the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal as a "shabby, back room, unclear deal." Meanwhile, Fifa acknowledged "mistakes" regarding the FFE during a meeting on Wednesday, stating it was "not the intention" for the Fifa Council and member associations to "feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently."

Despite Uefa's position, other football bodies including Conmebol (South American confederation), the Confederation of African Football (Caf), and the football associations of World Cup co-hosts Mexico and runners-up Argentina have voiced support for Infantino.

After the meeting, Infantino and his deputy Grafstrom were seen together, smiling at a Women's Africa Cup of Nations match between Malawi and Zambia, suggesting a temporary easing of tensions.

Concacaf, overseeing football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, also issued a statement after the proposal was aborted but stopped short of expressing lost confidence in Infantino.

The situation leaves open the possibility of European teams boycotting competitions including the World Cup, as Uefa's stance remains firm.

Sources