The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is set to lift its boycott of International Federation of Association Football (FIFA)-organized tournaments. However, the calls for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to step down are expected to persist.
Multiple international news sources, including Reuters, reported on Thursday that UEFA would abandon its plan to boycott FIFA events.
UEFA’s 55 member football associations are scheduled to convene in Monaco on Thursday to formally agree on withdrawing the boycott. The decision comes after UEFA reportedly received assurances that Infantino would not revive his plan to sell World Cup shares to private investors.
This move eases concerns about potential disruptions to the upcoming Under-20 Women’s World Cup, set to kick off in Poland on September 5.
Despite this development, UEFA member countries continue to voice their opposition to President Infantino.
On Thursday, both the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and the Romanian Football Federation (FRF) withdrew their support for Infantino. This is likely to amplify calls for Infantino’s resignation across European soccer.
FIGC President Giovanni Malagò stated that it remains committed to working alongside UEFA and other European soccer associations to pursue our vision of fair competition, solidarity, sustainability, and fan-centric soccer.
FRF President Razvan Burleanu echoed this sentiment, saying that FIFA needs fresh leadership capable of fostering consensus, unity, and trust while bringing the entire soccer community together.