UEFA expected to end FIFA boycott threat before Champions League draw

UEFA is expected to withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA competitions after receiving assurances that plans to bring private investment into the governing body’s major tournaments will not be revived.

The development is due to be discussed at a meeting of UEFA executives and European member associations in Monaco on Thursday, shortly before the draw for this season’s Champions League league phase.

The dispute has cast a shadow over the draw, which will determine the fixtures for Europe’s leading club competition.

UEFA reacted angrily in late July after it emerged that Gianni Infantino’s FIFA was considering the creation of a commercial subsidiary to oversee major events including the World Cup and Club World Cup.

The proposed structure, known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative, would have allowed private investors to buy stakes in a company established to run those competitions.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin condemned the idea, describing it as a “shady, opaque backroom deal”.

In a strongly worded statement, UEFA said: “No UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive.”

That intervention was widely credited with helping to force the controversial proposal to be shelved quickly.

UEFA had demanded that the plan be abandoned, while also seeking assurances “that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again”.

A source told AFP on Wednesday that UEFA considered that second demand to have been met. Sources indicated the boycott threat would “likely” be withdrawn at Thursday’s meeting.

The immediate consequence is that UEFA can maintain a united position in its desire for Infantino to leave his role. A boycott would have risked weakening that stance if all European associations were not prepared to support it.

The Under-20 Women’s World Cup will be held in Poland next month, while European qualifying for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil remains under way. UEFA’s decision means its national teams are not expected to be prevented from taking part in FIFA competitions.

Attention will then turn to the Champions League, with Europe’s leading domestic leagues beginning their campaigns and the continent’s biggest clubs preparing to discover their league-phase opponents.

Paris Saint-Germain will attempt to become the first club in 50 years to win the European Cup three seasons in succession. They begin their defence after beating Arsenal on penalties in last season’s final in Budapest.

The only club to achieve three consecutive European Cup triumphs in the past half-century was Real Madrid, who won the competition from 2016 to 2018.

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique said: “We have won the last two, which means we can win a third. It will be very hard, but that is our ambition.”

This is the third season to use the Champions League’s expanded format. The competition now features 36 teams in one league table, with every club playing eight matches against different opponents.

The financial dominance of Europe’s wealthiest clubs is also expected to remain evident, with the richest leagues providing half of the teams in the competition. England, Spain, Italy and Germany will each have a significant presence.

The Premier League has five representatives: Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa. Spain also has five clubs, including Real Betis, who are returning to the Champions League after an absence of 20 years.

Como will make their first appearance in the competition under former Arsenal, Barcelona and Spain player Cesc Fabregas, having disrupted the established order in Italy.

Azerbaijan’s Sabah will also debut in the Champions League. They began in the first qualifying round and progressed through four ties to reach the league phase.

LASK of Austria will make their first appearance in the competition proper after producing a notable comeback to defeat Celtic in the play-offs.

The first round of league-phase matches is scheduled for Tuesday, 8 September to Thursday, 10 September. The league phase will finish in late January, with the final set to be played at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on 5 June 2027.