European football's governing body Uefa has taken the rare and dramatic step of agreeing to boycott Fifa tournaments unless Gianni Infantino abandons a private investment plan for the World Cup. The decision, reached Thursday, was described by a senior Uefa executive as remarkably unanimous, underlining the depth of concern among Europe's football associations about the proposal, known as Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE).
Fifa responded overnight by doubling down on the plan, issuing "clarifications" that blamed the media for disrupting its "consultation process." The world governing body gave no indication it would soften its stance or move from the 19 September deadline, which critics say is an attempt to force the proposal through quickly. The rush has raised questions, but Uefa and its allies now have a narrow window of about seven weeks to press their case before the deadline arrives.