North and Central America join Europe in 2030 World Cup boycott as FIFA threaten controversial plans
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) have announced they will stand with Europe in boycotting the 2030 World Cup, should the FIFA president go ahead with controversial funding plans for the tournament.
Following an emergency Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) meeting that took place today (July 30), European nations announced that they will not take part in the next soccer tournament if Gianni Infantino grants private funding for the games.
But now, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) are also taking a stand.
In a statement, the association said: "Concacaf is a confederation united by the love of our game, where football comes first.
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"Guided by this philosophy over the past ten years we have built, from the ground up, an organization founded on service, transparent governance, and the long-term stewardship of football.
"History has shown FIFA and the football family what happens when the custodians of the game lose sight of these values."
Why are countries boycotting the 2030 World Cup?
FIFA plans to create a new $20 billion company ahead of the 2030 World Cup, and sell stakes in it to private investors, with Josh Kushner's firm leading the deal.
The severe backlash stems from accusations that FIFA is prioritising commercial interests over the traditions of football.
Concacaf's statement added: "With this in mind, Concacaf today convened a meeting of the presidents of its 41 Member Associations, together with its President, Council members, and its FIFA Council members, to discuss a proposal developed and presented by the FIFA President to establish ‘FIFA Forward Enterprise’ and sell interests in the FIFA World Cup to private investors.
"During the meeting, the membership expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies. In addition, the need for private equity investment to fund new and existing FIFA Forward programs following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history was questioned.
"The discussion reinforced the need for greater transparency and proper governance."
Why is the FIFA president pushing the plans?
Infantino has defended the plans, claiming that the investments are about growing football's revenues and sharing more money with member associations, rather than giving up control of the sport.
Writing in a statement, the FIFA president added: "Football is the world’s most popular sport and an extraordinary engine of human and social development.
"Parts of the game have turned that popularity into remarkable commercial value - and we celebrate that success and want it to continue, because it lifts the whole game.
"Our job is to make sure the rest of football grows with it: FIFA exists to support sustainable, inclusive development in every corner of the world."
The announcement takes the total number of countries planning to boycott the tournament, should the investment go ahead, to 96.
Mia Williams