By Enitan Abdultawab
European football nations are set to withdraw their threat to boycott FIFA competitions following assurances from the world football governing body, according to Sky News.
The boycott threat was introduced by UEFA last month as part of growing opposition to FIFA president Gianni Infantino and a controversial proposal to sell shares in a World Cup-related commercial venture to private investors.
Infantino later abandoned the plan, but UEFA maintained that European teams would only return to FIFA competitions after receiving assurances that similar attempts to alter the structure of the game would not be repeated.
According to Sky News, assurances have now been received and are expected to be discussed at meetings in Monaco on Thursday.
The development means England and other European nations will participate as planned in the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland next week, ending the immediate threat of a boycott.
The tournament will be the first FIFA competition since the dispute over Infantino’s proposed World Cup commercial sell-off plunged his presidency into a major crisis.
UEFA has continued to lead efforts to challenge Infantino’s leadership, with support reportedly coming from FIFA vice presidents in Asia, Europe and North America.
The Under-20 Women’s World Cup is expected to provide Infantino with an opportunity to appear publicly as FIFA president despite the continuing political divisions within the organisation.
The next senior FIFA tournament is the Women’s World Cup, scheduled for June 2027, although the competition will take place after FIFA’s presidential election in March.
Infantino has yet to publicly address the upcoming election, with the deadline for potential candidates to secure the required backing from at least five football associations set for November.
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