UEFA’s boycott of FIFA tournaments remains in place following a crisis meeting that saw FIFA president Gianni Infantino retain the backing of the governing body’s management board, Sky Sports reported. Infantino was forced to abandon his plan to sell minority stakes in a commercial vehicle designed to operate the World Cup after the proposal was rejected by three continental confederations.

The Swiss administrator received what FIFA described as full support from the management board on Wednesday, despite the controversy surrounding his privatisation proposal. UEFA’s position did not shift in response.

How the Privatisation Plan Collapsed

According to Al Jazeera, UEFA carried out a unanimous vote to boycott FIFA competitions unless the proposal was dropped. With 55 of FIFA’s 211 member associations, European football’s governing body represented a powerful bloc that FIFA could not easily dismiss. The plan was ultimately withdrawn.

UEFA subsequently released a statement saying the proposal being removed must not be treated as the end of the matter, and that the process of restoring trust in FIFA had only just begun.

Al Jazeera reported that UEFA confirmed it had served FIFA with a document preservation letter, also known as a litigation hold letter. This type of legal document formally requests that an organisation retain all evidence that could be relevant to a future dispute or investigation.

According to the Associated Press, as cited by Al Jazeera, the letter names 18 specific FIFA executives who must preserve data, documents, and electronic communications. Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, now serving as FIFA’s head of global football development, was reportedly among those named. Wenger stated separately that he had no knowledge of Infantino’s plan.

Infantino’s Position Remains Contested

Sky Sports noted that despite receiving the management board’s backing, Infantino remains under significant pressure. UEFA has not withdrawn its boycott, and the legal preservation letter signals that further action cannot be ruled out.

Al Jazeera reported that a challenge to Infantino’s presidency now appears increasingly likely, whether through internal FIFA mechanisms or external legal routes. The statement UEFA issued earlier described a loss of confidence in the FIFA president directly.

The episode marks one of the most serious governance disputes in world football in recent years, with European football’s institutions moving in coordinated fashion against the sitting FIFA leadership.