UEFA Rejects Infantino's Apology and Stands Firm on Boycott of FIFA Tournaments
-$11 million sparks dispute between US cities and FIFA after 2026 World Cup
UEFA maintains its threat to boycott FIFA tournaments, insisting that FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s apology for the plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and his meeting with continental confederation officials have not altered its position.
In a statement, UEFA said the conditions it set for withdrawing the boycott threat have not been met, clarifying that these include the withdrawal of proposals to sell rights or stakes in major tournaments, and guarantees that such attempts will not be repeated in the future.
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UEFA added that it still lacks confidence in Infantino’s leadership of FIFA, emphasizing that its previously stated position remains unchanged.
FIFA had announced, following a high-level summit held in Morocco last Wednesday, that Infantino enjoys the full support of those present, and offered an apology to the FIFA Council and member associations for the errors surrounding the plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, pledging to take necessary measures to ensure they are not repeated.
However, UEFA considered these steps insufficient, asserting that declarations of support from some FIFA officials for the president do not change its opposition, and that the crisis of confidence with Infantino persists.
Dispute over $11 million
Despite FIFA achieving record revenues of $15 billion during the financial period spanning 2023 to 2026, 11 US cities hosting the 2026 World Cup are still waiting to receive financial contributions totaling $11 million, which they say were promised to support legacy projects related to the tournament.
According to a report published by The Athletic, officials from the host cities received verbal assurances from FIFA leadership that they would receive $1 million per city, similar to the contribution announced by FIFA President Gianni Infantino for cities that hosted the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States. However, these funds have not yet been disbursed.
The newspaper stated: "The cities demanding their dues include Seattle, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey, Miami, and Boston, with total claims amounting to $11 million."
It added: "These claims come at a time when the operating budget for the 2026 World Cup reached approximately $2.7 billion, while FIFA has captured most of the tournament's commercial returns, including ticket sales revenue, television broadcasting rights, sponsorship deals, commercial licenses, and parking fees."
In contrast, US cities and government entities have borne the bulk of the organization costs, which included security, transportation, logistics, fan zone operations, airports, and tournament-related infrastructure, with estimates suggesting public spending reached billions of dollars.
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It continued: "Host city officials believe that the requested $11 million represents a very small percentage compared to FIFA’s $15 billion in revenue, amounting to no more than 0.07% of total income, while each city’s contribution is only $1 million. This has led several organizing committees to demand clarification from FIFA regarding the disbursement of these funds, especially as some committees are concluding their work and preparing their final financial reports after the tournament concludes."
Infantino denies paying money to "mistress"
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has denied that UEFA paid money to a woman who claimed to have had a relationship with him during his tenure as the confederation’s general secretary.
Yesterday, the Daily Telegraph reported that the woman received a six-figure sum following the alleged relationship with Infantino.
In a statement, UEFA confirmed that it made a payment to the woman, in addition to covering the costs of her MBA studies, noting that these payments were “compliant” with the regulations in force at the time.
The report comes amid growing pressure on Infantino over his plan to secure private investments in a company that manages FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups.
Infantino worked at UEFA for 16 years, serving as general secretary since 2009 before being elected FIFA president in February 2016.
A UEFA spokesperson said: “We are aware of these allegations, and we can confirm that a severance payment was made to the individual concerned, along with the costs of an MBA course at a local business school.”
For his part, a FIFA spokesperson told the Telegraph: “FIFA President Gianni Infantino strongly denies these allegations, which are entirely false.”
