This marks a temporary de-escalation in UEFA’s confrontation with FIFA, but it does not mean the underlying dispute over Gianni Infantino’s leadership or FIFA governance has been resolved.
UEFA appears ready to lift the boycott
UEFA’s 55 member associations had agreed to boycott FIFA competitions after opposition emerged to a FIFA proposal that could have involved selling stakes in the organisation’s major tournaments, including the World Cup.
FIFA withdrew that proposal in July. According to the Reuters report, UEFA has now received assurances that similar plans will not be brought back, which appears sufficient for the European body to abandon its boycott threat.
UEFA officials are expected to formally communicate that position at a meeting in Monaco.
The timing matters because the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland begins September 5. UEFA does not want a political dispute between football administrators to deprive young players of what may be a once-in-a-lifetime tournament experience.
As one source put it, ending the boycott would not represent a UEFA defeat; rather, it avoids harming players while the push for FIFA reform continues.
But Infantino's political position is weakening
The more serious development for Infantino is that Italy has withdrawn its support for his FIFA presidential candidacy.
The Italian Football Federation said its decision reflected its concerns over Infantino's recent initiatives regarding the governance and development of international competitions, while explicitly aligning itself with UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin.
That is significant because Infantino is seeking a fourth term in March 2027.
He is also reportedly facing pressure from three confederations:
UEFA
AFC (Asian Football Confederation)
CONCACAF
European Leagues president Claudius Schaefer has gone even further, saying Infantino has no future at FIFA and that the organisation needs reform.
The bigger battle is governance
The tournament-stakes proposal appears to have been the trigger, rather than the entire dispute.
UEFA's concern is essentially about FIFA's growing control over commercial and competitive decisions. Infantino, meanwhile, has increasingly tried to work directly with individual national associations rather than relying on the confederations as intermediaries.
That creates a fundamental power struggle:
Infantino wants FIFA to have greater freedom to shape and commercialise global football; UEFA and other critics want stronger institutional checks on the FIFA president.
For now, the boycott threat is likely to disappear, but the political confrontation hasn't.
The next thing worth watching is who formally backs Infantino—or withdraws support—before the March 2027 FIFA election. Italy's move could become more consequential if other European federations follow.
