Following Thursday’s virtual meeting, chaired by president Aleksander Ceferin, Uefa issued a statement saying that the organisation and all 55 of its member associations were united in their position.
The statement said they firmly and unanimously opposed Fifa’s plan to hand ownership stakes in the World Cup and its other tournaments to private investors.
A day earlier, Uefa had alleged that Fifa was exploiting the sport for the financial benefit of its officials and their associates.
Thursday’s response was even more critical, describing it as unacceptable that a plan with such major consequences for football had been developed behind closed doors and without proper discussions with those responsible for managing the sport.
It continued by saying that the situation represented not only a serious breakdown in leadership, but also a failure by Fifa to fulfil its responsibility as the guardian of international football.
It argued that national associations across the globe were effectively being forced to choose between accepting the permanent private control of football’s most prestigious competitions and facing unspecified repercussions.
According to the statement, this could not be regarded as a democratic process. Instead, it amounted to rule through pressure and coercion, conduct considered inappropriate for an organisation charged with overseeing the worldwide game.
Although Uefa represents only about one-quarter of Fifa’s total membership, many of the sport’s highest-achieving national teams belong to the European body.
European sides made up six of the eight quarter-finalists at this summer’s World Cup, including champions Spain. Five European teams reached that stage in 2022, while six did so in 2018.
European nations have lifted the trophy in 13 of the 23 World Cup tournaments held so far.
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