UEFA stands firm on WC boycott threat after Infantino's crisis meeting

European football's governing body, UEFA, has maintained its threat to boycott FIFA competitions despite FIFA apologising for its abandoned proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup.

In a statement on Thursday, UEFA said the conditions it had set for withdrawing its boycott threat had not been fulfilled. It noted that the proposal to sell interests in FIFA's flagship competitions had to be formally withdrawn and that FIFA also needed to guarantee such attempts would not be repeated. UEFA further said it continued to have no confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino's leadership, Associated Press reported.

The pressure on Infantino intensified as the global players' union, FIFPRO, accused him of abusing presidential authority. The English Football Association also withdrew its backing for his re-election, while Amnesty International said the controversy underscored the need for governance reforms within FIFA.

FIFA and Infantino sought to project unity following a high-level meeting in Morocco on Wednesday, where the organisation said its senior officials had expressed full support for the president.

FIFA also apologised for mistakes surrounding its controversial plan to commercialise World Cup profits through a subsidiary, saying it was committed to preventing similar situations in the future. The governing body expressed hope that the meeting would help rebuild confidence after the backlash triggered by the now-abandoned proposal.

UEFA had previously voted to boycott FIFA competitions if the commercialisation plan went ahead. Although FIFA later abandoned the proposal, UEFA reiterated that it still lacked confidence in the organisation's leadership, leaving open the possibility of a challenge to Infantino's presidency.

Rejecting FIFA's attempt to demonstrate internal unity, UEFA said that support from officials employed under the FIFA president did not alter its position.