Suzanne Wrack argues that Gianni Infantino’s abandoned plan to sell stakes in Fifa’s major tournaments exposed how women’s football can be treated as leverage in wider power struggles. Uefa’s threatened boycott was presented as necessary to resist private ownership, but women’s and youth competitions faced the most immediate disruption because key qualifiers and World Cups are imminent. The episode matters because the women’s game depends heavily on international tournaments to sustain investment, visibility and growth.

A boycott could have affected England’s Women’s World Cup play-off against Greece, youth World Cups later in 2026 and the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The 2023 Women’s World Cup generated more than $570m (£424m) and was the first to break even, while Fifa has targeted $1bn in revenue for 2027. Although Infantino has increased Fifa’s investment in women’s football compared with previous leadership, Wrack contends that his actions nevertheless put its progress at unnecessary risk.