Uefa doubles down on Fifa boycott threat: Infantino apology 'changes nothing'

UEFA has reaffirmed its threat to boycott FIFA competitions unless Gianni Infantino steps down as president, despite his recent apology. The situation was brought to a head during a crisis meeting in Morocco on Wednesday, when Infantino promised "apologies" but FIFA's senior leadership said the conditions for lifting the boycott had not been met.

A press release from FIFA admitted to "errors" and vowed to remain united behind Infantino, whose term ends in March 2027. Infantino's proposal to create a commercial rights entity and sell 20 percent of it to private investors had sparked widespread outrage, but the plan was ultimately abandoned. UEFA's statement on Thursday insisted that the organization's "associations were very clear about the conditions attached to their non-participation in FIFA competitions."

These included withdrawing the proposal to sell off major competitions and ensuring such attempts would not be repeated. UEFA emphasized that Infantino's continued leadership had not been verified, despite a report claiming that some employees of FIFA's president agreed with his decisions.