UEFA Is Ready To Go To War With FIFA Over The World Cup

UEFA, Europe's soccer confederation, confirmed on Thursday that it was not making empty threats over FIFA president https://defector.com/gianni-infantino-is-putting-the-world-cup-up-for-sale">Gianni Infantino's plan to sell the World Cup off to private investors.

In a statement titled "Statement on behalf of UEFA and its 55 national associations" posted on https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/02a7-213a92896eb0-54dfbf454e3b-1000--statement-on-behalf-of-uefa-and-its-55-national-associations/">the confederation's website, UEFA laid down the gauntlet, using its immense power and money to, it hopes, block Infantino's latest greedy, stupid idea.

The key part of the statement reads as follows:

Europe’s position is clear.

We will never lend this model our legitimacy.

No one has the moral authority to sell what they merely hold in trust for the next generation.

As a result of today’s discussion, no UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership.

Nobody should be in any doubt: UEFA and its national associations will oppose these plans with absolute determination.