Women's Football 'First Casualties' of Fifa's Private Investment Plan
Quick Look
Former England defender Anita Asante warns women's football will suffer first if Fifa sells competition stakes to private investors, as Uefa's 55 member associations boycott Fifa competitions.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Fifa's proposal to sell competition stakes to private investors sparked widespread criticism from football governing bodies.
Women's football will be the first to suffer if Fifa president Gianni Infantino's plan to sell stakes in competitions to private investors goes ahead, according to former England defender Anita Asante.
On Thursday European football's 55 member associations voted to boycott all Fifa competitions until the governing body drops Infantino's proposals. Uefa's stance will first be tested when the Fifa Under-20 Women's World Cup starts on 5 September in Poland.
"The first casualties will be women's football tournaments," Asante told BBC Sport. "I don't think Fifa have considered the implications of their decision."
The Polish Football Association (PZPN) said on Friday it has not received any information about teams withdrawing from the competition and preparations are continuing as planned.
In October, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all have qualifiers for next summer's Women's World Cup in Brazil. And the Under-17 Women's World Cup is scheduled to take place in October in Morocco.
"That's what's so frustrating for players. You can't take for granted the opportunity to play in the World Cup," said Asante. "If this isn't resolved by the time of England's qualifiers, then the impact could be huge and it is already a busy schedule."
In response to Uefa's boycott, Fifa said on Friday "nobody is selling football" and claimed the consultation process has been "disrupted by incorrect media reports".
Concacaf, which governs football in North and Central America and hosted this year's World Cup, said its 41 member associations have "rejected" Fifa's proposal.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has published a statement saying it "stands in solidarity" with its counterparts in Europe and North, Central America and the Caribbean.
Meanwhile, Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to Fifa chief Gianni Infantino, resigned from his position, saying the proposal was "a bad deal for football" and would "mortgage football's future".
"I was really pleased to see that Uefa had taken the position that they have, and they were very clear with their directive and firm about how they want this to go," added Asante.
"It's taking away what the essence of football is about and tournaments are about. Women could be the casualties here yet again."
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Uefa will maintain its boycott until Fifa revises its proposal.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What are the exact terms of Fifa's investment proposal?
- How will the boycott affect upcoming Women's World Cup qualifiers?
