England defender Lucy Bronze has become the first footballer from the nation to publicly support UEFA's potential World Cup boycott against FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Daily Mail Sport reported on Thursday that European football's governing body would maintain its boycott of the competition until the controversial chief is removed from his position.
UEFA previously issued a statement reiterating that it had lost confidence in the FIFA president following his aborted World Cup sell-off plan. The governing body said the proposal had to be withdrawn and demanded assurances that attempts to disfigure the game in this way would never happen again before lifting its self-imposed ban.
As things stand, anything less than Infantino's removal is not expected to be enough to guarantee that champions Spain, England, France and Germany will participate in four years' time.
Bronze has spoken out in support of the movement ahead of the Women's World Cup, which is set to take place in Brazil next year. The 2027 tournament could mark Bronze's fourth World Cup appearance, although doubts remain over whether the competition will go ahead as scheduled.
"The message that we stand by … is 'for the good of the game,'" Bronze told The Guardian. "The players who play in those competitions, the European players, we stand by our beliefs and what the right thing is for our game."
"If that means boycotting competitions, then that has to happen," Bronze added. "It's for the future of the game and not just for me today and tomorrow, it's for all the little girls or little boys who come after us to make sure that they're in a good place, when the game is moving forward in decades to come, not just tomorrow."
Crisis talks in Morocco
On Wednesday night, FIFA announced that Infantino retained the backing of members of the organisation's council following crisis talks in Morocco. The beleaguered Swiss executive had summoned officials to his hotel as part of what appears, for now, to be a successful effort to remain in power.
Infantino faced major backlash after plans emerged to sell off stakes in the World Cup, including commercial and event operations. Amid widespread outrage and opposition, those plans were dumped. Following the hotel summit, FIFA issued a statement claiming executives had given their "full support" to Infantino while acknowledging "mistakes" in the abandoned proposal.
FIFA stated that it has apologised in a letter to the various football associations and announced that a formal review will be carried out.
UEFA maintains hardline stance
UEFA had previously branded Infantino's proposal a "shabby, back room, opaque deal" in an initial statement on Saturday. Responding to Infantino's apparent vote of confidence, UEFA reiterated its firm position on the standoff.
"UEFA’s associations were very clear about the conditions attached to their non participation in FIFA competitions," UEFA stated. "First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again."
"These conditions have not been met. In addition, UEFA made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency. That position holds," the statement continued. "Yesterday’s announcement that some people employed by the FIFA President (and whose careers depend on his favour) agree with him changes nothing."
