A potential World Cup boycott is being considered following revelations this week
UEFA are threatening to boycott the World Cup if Gianni Infantino goes forward with his plans to sell off part of FIFA. The governing body’s president is considering selling shares to private investors to create a £15billion ($20bn) subsidiary.
UEFA will hold an emergency meeting at 2pm today to ward off FIFA’s attempt to launch a new commercial company with outside investment. Infantino wants to sell off more than 20% of the FIFA Forward Enterprise and raise £3.16bn ($4.2bn).
It is reported that these plans were not raised during meetings with football associations in New York the night before the World Cup final. UEFA said in a statement: “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross. UEFA takes it extremely seriously.
“So should every National Football Association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game.
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“The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade – especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”
In the wake of this, Mirror Football examines previous occasions when nations have withdrawn from the World Cup.
Uruguay – 1934
The reigning world champions were due to head to the second edition of the tournament in 1934, having triumphed four years earlier. However, they withdrew in protest after several European sides refused to travel to South America for the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay.
The 1934 World Cup remains the only edition where the defending champions failed to take part.
Austria – 1938
Among the favourites heading into the 1938 tournament, Austria were unable to compete after Nazi forces annexed the nation at the time. Several Austrian stars joined up with the German squad, though standout player Matthias Sindelar refused to represent the Nazi-led side.
India – 1950
On the sole occasion India reached the World Cup, they chose not to attend. In 1950, the Asian nation progressed to the finals by default following withdrawals during qualifying.
Their absence was attributed to travel costs, training time and squad selection difficulties.
15 African teams – 1966
The 1966 tournament holds fond memories for England, but one often-overlooked element is the absence of African nations. The continent’s teams boycotted the qualifying stages in protest against FIFA’s decision to grant just one place for the African, Asian and Oceania confederations combined.
These nations include: Algeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia and the United Arab Republic (now called Egypt).
Chile – 1974
In 1974, the world watched as a qualified nation came close to boycotting the World Cup on political grounds. During the intercontinental play-off between Chile and the Soviet Union, the latter refused to participate in the fixture in protest against Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship.
Pinochet had overthrown the socialist government, turning Chile from a former Soviet ally into an enemy. As a result, the Chilean players took to the pitch alone, with captain Francisco Valdes scoring into an empty net before the match was abandoned.
World Cup protests and issues
In more recent times, outright boycott threats have been few and far between, though tensions did surface during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. All 32 qualified nations took part in the tournament, yet some players staged demonstrations concerning alleged human rights abuses and the host nation’s controversial stance on LGBT rights.
Captains from seven European nations – England, Wales, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland – had planned to wear “OneLove” armbands promoting inclusivity.
They abandoned the plan just hours before their matches after FIFA threatened to issue automatic yellow cards to any player wearing the unauthorised armband.
Meanwhile, in March this year – ahead of the 2026 World Cup – following escalating regional conflict and U.S./Israeli airstrikes, Iranian sports minister Ahmad Donyamali publicly declared that the national team would not participate in the tournament “under any circumstances.”
However, Iran did not officially withdraw and instead petitioned FIFA to have their matches relocated to co-host nation Mexico. This request was rejected and Iran ultimately played in the tournament, although they were subject to travel restrictions and were forced to travel in and out of the USA on the day of each match.
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