Top News

Uefa is expected to withdraw its boycott of the World Cup and other Fifa competitions after Gianni Infantino’s failed plan to sell stakes in Fifa tournaments did not go ahead.

Last month, European football’s governing body and all 55 of its member associations said they would boycott every Fifa-sanctioned tournament until Infantino abandoned his proposal to sell stakes in Fifa competitions, and until “assurances have been made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again.”

Now, according to The Guardian, senior Uefa officials will inform the organisation’s executive committee and the presidents of a number of its 55 member associations at a meeting in Monaco on Thursday that both of those conditions have now been satisfied.

There is also urgency around the decision, with six European teams, including England, due to travel to Poland on Monday for the Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup, which begins on Saturday, 5 September.

The move also clears up any doubt over the senior England women’s team as they prepare to come through the play-offs later this year in a bid to qualify for next summer’s World Cup in Brazil.

Uefa did not comment when contacted by The Independent.

However, Uefa’s stance on Infantino remaining Fifa president has not altered, with a number of associations having withdrawn their backing for him before next year’s presidential election.

Infantino’s future and Uefa’s next course of action are due to be discussed at Thursday’s meeting, which will be held ahead of the Champions League league-stage draw at 5pm (BST) in Monte Carlo.

Infantino is facing calls to resign from three major confederations, with Asia’s AFC and Concacaf, the body that runs football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, joining Uefa in opposition. Regional governing bodies in the sport have also discussed the possibility of a no-confidence vote against the Fifa president.

There have also been serious concerns over the inaugural Fifa peace prize being given to US president Donald Trump in December, as well as the lifting of a ban on American forward Folarin Balogun during this year’s World Cup following a call from Trump.

Meanwhile, European Leagues president Claudius Schaefer, who has demanded deep structural reform within Fifa, has said Infantino has no future leading world football’s governing body.

In an interview with The Athletic published on Wednesday, Schaefer voiced serious concerns about Infantino’s leadership on behalf of European Leagues, an organisation that represents 53 professional men’s and women’s football competitions.

“We question his suitability to continue as president. Here in Switzerland, we’ve had a close view of Fifa and it seems that the influence of the president has grown from year to year,” he added.

“Major decisions are taken without meaningful consultation with stakeholders who will be affected.”