UEFA: World Cup is not for sale

- No European national team will participate in any FIFA tournament if it proceeds with plans to involve private-sector investors.

In a statement issued on Thursday, UEFA said, “No European national team will participate in any tournament organized by FIFA as long as these proposals remain on the table, unless they are completely withdrawn, with binding guarantees provided that FIFA’s governance and competitions will not be opened up to private ownership again.”

It added, “The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product… and no part of it should ever be ceded to private-sector investors. The World Cup is not for sale.”