UEFA threatens to withdraw World Cup involvement over FIFA's controversial investment plan

The potential move comes in response to FIFA President Gianni Infantino's plan to sell commercial rights to the sport's premier tournament to private investors.

FIFA has stated that this initiative will create new commercial avenues and boost funding for football development globally, which has led to criticism from Sepp Blatter.

The organisation confirmed it is collaborating with financial giant J.P. Morgan, with Joshua Kushner's investment firm, Thrive Eternal, named as a potential investor.

FIFA has assured that it will maintain complete control over all sporting matters, including governance, competition rules, and the international match calendar.

Reports indicate that UEFA is organising an emergency meeting with its 55 member nations to formulate a unified strategy. 

This could include a refusal to participate in upcoming World Cups if FIFA moves forward with its contentious commercial restructuring.

At the heart of the dispute is the proposed creation of FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new commercial body designed to manage FIFA's events, including the men's and women's World Cups. 

FIFA aims to raise approximately $4.2 billion by selling non-controlling minority stakes in this new entity, which is valued at around $20 billion.

However, the plan has met with fierce opposition from European football circles. UEFA has condemned the proposal, labelling it a hazardous attempt to commercialise the sport's governance. 

In a sharply worded statement, UEFA declared that football's governance and heritage are "not assets to trade" and that no single authority owns the game.

The European body warned that selling stakes in the World Cup would compromise the integrity of global football. 

It has called upon national associations, leagues, clubs, players, fans, and governments to stand against the proposal.

Sources close to the situation suggest UEFA is preparing a united front and may revisit the threat of a World Cup boycott, a tactic previously used to successfully thwart FIFA's proposed biennial World Cup in 2021.