UEFA has reportedly threatened to boycott the World Cup over FIFA's proposal to sell external stakes in the tournament, in a dispute that culminated in FIFA giving national football associations just 53 days to accept a £30 million offer tied to the plan. Critics, including Daily Mail columnists Jeff Powell and Jonathan McEvoy, accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of effectively bribing nations to secure support and of pushing through the sale without proper consultation, describing it as an "ambush" that threatens the integrity and independence of the sport's showpiece competition.

The row escalated as UEFA directly accused Infantino of bribing federations to back the stake sale, which critics say could personally enrich him by concentrating financial control of the World Cup in his hands. Unnamed insiders quoted in the coverage described a marked shift in Infantino's conduct, from "pleasant and unassuming" to what they called a "greedy narcissist" driven by unchecked power, while commentators urged England and other football authorities to lead resistance to the plan. Despite the sharp rhetoric and the tight deadline imposed on member nations, no boycott was ultimately confirmed to have taken place, and the story has since gone quiet without a definitive resolution being reported.