European Clubs Threatened 2028-29 Club World Cup Boycott, Forcing FIFA to Scrap FFE Scheme
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 14
European Clubs Threatened 2028-29 Club World Cup Boycott, Forcing FIFA to Scrap FFE Scheme
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 14
Summary
A 31 July letter from the European Club Association-style EFC warned FIFA that its clubs would not join the men’s or women’s 2028 and 2029 Club World Cups unless Gianni Infantino dropped the Forward Enterprise plan.
Infantino shelved the privately backed FFE in the early hours of 1 August after clubs objected that it could pull broadcasting, commercial and sponsorship rights under a separate umbrella without proper consultation.
The EFC said FIFA’s move could amount to a “substantial breach” of their memorandum, threatened pushback on the international match calendar and player-release rules, and demanded a fully operational FIFA-EFC joint venture before 2028 women’s TV rights are sold.
That leverage is significant because a European withdrawal would effectively make future Club World Cups unworkable; FIFA has since promised a swift meeting, while hosts for the 2029 men’s event and the new women’s tournament remain unannounced.
The dispute also exposed wider tensions over governance and money, with clubs pressing FIFA to explain 2025 Club World Cup finances and resolve a delayed £185 million solidarity payment for non-participating clubs.