In a statement released after Thursday’s meeting, which was held virtually and chaired by president Aleksander Ceferin, Uefa said it and its 55 member associations “stand as one”.

“We unanimously and unequivocally reject Fifa’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other Fifa competitions to private investors,” it said.

On Wednesday, Uefa had accused Fifa of using football “to enrich themselves and their friends”.

Its statement on Thursday was even more damning, calling it “irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such significance for football was conceived in secret” and “without any meaningful consultation” with those who steward the game.

It added: “This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of Fifa’s duty as the custodian of world football.

“National associations around the world are now presented with an ultimatum: accept the irreversible capture of football’s greatest competitions or bear the consequences.

“This is not a ‘democratic decision’, but governance by intimidation – an act of coercion unworthy of an institution entrusted with the stewardship of the global game.”

While Uefa only accounts for a quarter of Fifa’s membership, it does include most of the world’s most successful teams.

Six of the eight quarter-finalists – including winners Spain – at this summer’s World Cup were European. In the 2022 and 2018 editions, the figures were five and six respectively.

Of the 23 World Cups to have taken place to date, 13 have been won by European countries.

Gianni Infantino’s controversial idea for the future of the World Cup and all FIFA competitions has dominated the football world

UEFA and the FA will boycott the World Cup if Gianni Infantino’s controversial plan for FIFA goes through. This decision came after a meeting was held by UEFA and it’s 55 member nations in response to Infantino’s idea to bring more outside investment in the federation’s competitions.

Infantino’s vision is to sell shares in its tournaments which would include the World Cup, its equivalent women’s competitions and ones in various age groups, as well as the Club World Cup. Ire and anger has proceeded the idea, which was presented by Infantino and has also received the backing of Joshua Kushner, the brother of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared.

Reports had surfaced claiming that FIFA had written to their 211 member associations with the promise of $40m (£30m) should they express support for the scheme, something which UEFA have since condemned, with those who do not support it receiving much less.

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The plan has already been condemned by the Premier League and UEFA, as well as the FA. After the latest meeting, it’s been confirmed England and many others would boycott FIFA competitions if Infantino’s idea was actualised.

UEFA have also released a statement following the emergency meeting, which reads: “UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions UEFA and its 55 member associations stand as one. We unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors.

“The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies. It has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale.

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“It is both irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such significance for football was conceived in secret and brought to the brink of approval without any meaningful consultation with those entrusted with stewarding the game. This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the custodian of world football.

“National associations around the world are now presented with an ultimatum: accept the irreversible capture of football’s greatest competitions or bear the consequences. This is not a ‘democratic decision’, but governance by intimidation – an act of coercion unworthy of an institution entrusted with the stewardship of the global game.

“But our opposition goes far beyond process. The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in FIFA competitions, football changes forever. Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure.

“From that moment onwards, every decision on the international calendar, every decision on competition formats and every decision shaping the future of football is no longer driven by what best serves the game, but by what best serves shareholders.

“This model has no place in world football. Football’s future cannot be dictated by the expectations of those whose first duty is to maximise financial return. Nor can the interests of national associations, leagues, clubs, players and supporters become subordinate to investor returns. Football cannot mortgage its future for financial gain.“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. There are moments when institutions are judged not by what they are prepared to accept, but by what they refuse to compromise.

“This is one of those moments. Some things are simply too important to sell. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”

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UEFA called a Thursday afternoon meeting of its 55 members to discuss a response to FIFA’s plans to create a new commercial subsidiary valued at $20 billion (roughly €17.5 billion) and sell a non-controlling minority stake of it to investors.

UEFA, European football’s governing body, came out publicly in opposition to the plan within an hour of it first being reported by the Financial Times and Times on Monday.

Shortly after the newspaper reports, FIFA, the sport’s global governing body, issued a statement in which it confirmed the plan. In a later statement, it gave FIFA’s 211 member associations until September 19 to express their written support for the scheme. The proposal requires a simple majority and approval from the FIFA Council to pass. 

UEFA doubled down on its criticism after learning of the deadline, saying: “Today we have learned of FIFA’s deadline to associations to support their proposals or have the one-off payout offer withdrawn. This says everything ​you need to know about this plan.

It added that talks with many stakeholders showed that “there is significant and growing opposition to FIFA’s scheme. FIFA cannot to use our sport to enrich themselves and their friends.”

DFB: FIFA plan ‘problematic and unacceptable’

Germany’s mass-circulation Bild paper reported that key UEFA officials including German FA (DFB) President Bernd Neuendorf had already discussed the FIFA plans via a video call on Wednesday.

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“We must not lose the fans’ support, but we are well on the way to squandering that,” he told public broadcaster ZDF afterwards. “I consider this to be extremely problematic and unacceptable,” he added.

“If UEFA rejects this request (for approval of the plan), then it is dead, because I believe that you won’t be able to find any investor who would be willing to go ahead with this project if UEFA is out.”

Other critics have expressed fears that the deal could lead to more tournaments, teams and matches to increase revenue and boost the value of investors’ stakes.

UEFA hasn’t been the only confederation to criticize the report. CONCACAF, responsible for North and Central America, as well as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have also expressed concerns that the proposal was made public without their consultation while the African confederation (CAF) have said they will discuss the plans next week. Members of the FIFA Council, including Neuendorf, have said they were not consulted on the latest proposal.

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FIFA: Subsidiary could raise billions ‘this year’

FIFA has said the new subsidiary, to be known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) would be valued at $20 billion and that it would aim to raise up to $4.2 billion “this year” by “carefully selecting long-term investors who will purchase minority, non-controlling interests” in the company. FFE would be responsible for FIFA’s commercial rights like broadcast, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing contracts. By far the most valuable of these are those linked to the World Cup,

Under the ​plan, FIFA said it could make $10 billion available for development beginning in 2027. Each federation would be eligible for up to $20 ​million in one-time Fast Forward funding, in addition to $20 million through the regular FIFA Forward program during the 2027-30 ⁠cycle. Without ​approval, FIFA projects a development package of about $2.7 billion.

Infantino: ‘A golden opportunity’

In face of the opposition, FIFA President Gianni Infantino released a video on Wednesday evening, describing the project a “golden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally.”

He added that the proposal was “part of a democratic process” and in comments directed to football fans, he stressed that “the sport they watch and love will not change.”

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Edited by: Matt Pearson

One of the finest Indian batters in the longer format, Ajinkya Rahane, pulled the curtains on his playing career. He announced his retirement from international and all forms of cricket on Thursday, July 30, 2026.

The veteran had a fruitful career with many memorable moments, from captaining India to a historic series victory in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy down under, to winning the IPL title with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2023.

Ajinkya Rahane played 195 matches across all formats in his international career from 2011 to 2023. He piled on 8414 runs at an average of 35.95 with 15 hundreds and 51 half-centuries.

The 38-year-old has achieved several stunning feats as a player, captain, batter, and fielder. That said, here is a look at some of his incredible records that may be tough or impossible to break.

#5 Only Indian to score two centuries in the same Test while batting below No.4

Ajinkya Rahane brought immense stability in the Indian middle order for several years in Test cricket, becoming one of the backbones of the team’s success. Rahane is the only Indian batter to have scored two centuries in the same Test match while batting below the number four position.

During the 2015 Delhi Test against South Africa, Rahane batted at number five and made 127 off 215 balls in the first innings. In the second innings, he once again scored a century, remaining unbeaten on 100 off 206 balls, while batting at number six as India went on to win by a massive margin of 337 runs. He was also awarded ‘Player of the Match’.

#4 Most catches by an Indian in a Test match by a non-wicketkeeper fielder

Ajinkya Rahane is among the finest fielders ever produced by India, particularly in Test cricket, where he established himself as a specialist in the slip cordon. He held a unique record for the most catches taken in a single Test match by a non-wicketkeeper fielder.

Rahane took eight catches during a Test against Sri Lanka at Galle in 2015. While South Africa’s Aiden Markram broke his global record by taking nine catches against India at Guwahati in 2025, Rahane remains the Indian with the most catches in a Test match by a non-wicketkeeper fielder.

#3 Only Indian to score both maiden Test and ODI tons in SENA countries

Among the few unique records held by Ajinkya Rahane is being the only Indian to score both his maiden Test and ODI centuries in SENA countries. While many players have scored either a Test or ODI hundred or both in SENA countries, no Indian has scored both their maiden Test and ODI tons in these countries.

Rahane’s maiden Test hundred came against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington in 2014, where he made 118 runs off 158 balls. His maiden ODI ton came the same year against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham, where he made 106 off 100 balls.

#2 Only Indian to score a century both as a player and as captain in a Boxing Day Test

Scoring a century in a Boxing Day Test is a spectacular phenomenon. Ajinkya Rahane did it not once but twice, and also turned it into a record. He is the only Indian to score a century in a Boxing Day Test both as a player and as captain.

In 2014, he made 147 runs off 171 balls against Australia in the first innings at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). When he was the captain during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he scored 112 runs in the first innings at the same venue and also led India to a series-defining victory.

#1 Only Indian without a single century in a losing cause

India have never lost an international match when Ajinkya Rahane has scored a century (across formats). He is the only Indian without a single hundred coming in a losing cause.

Rahane made 12 Test hundreds and three ODI hundreds in his international career. His 15 centuries have come in 12 wins, three draws, and zero defeats. For any player to have all centuries with the team being unbeaten is a hard feat to achieve.