McAllister accuses FIFA of 'blackmail' over World Cup plan

Uefa vice-president Laura McAllister has accused Fifa of trying to blackmail member associations into trying to accept its controversial private equity plan.

European football's governing body has made a definitive stance against the Fifa proposals to sell stakes in major competitions.

The position was backed up when Uefa's 55 member associations voted to boycott the World Cup in response.

That was despite Fifa president Gianni Infantino writing to all national associations offer £15m to accept the offer by 19 September, with the promise of a further £15m to follow.

But, following Thursday's vote, former Wales international McAllister said there was unity and a strong sense of feeling between all Uefa nations about what she called a "genuine existential threat to the game" and "a ridiculous proposal".

"Effectively it's a form of blackmail financially to present the national associations with such a tight time period to consider such a significant seismic proposal," said McAllister, who sits on Uefa's executive committee.

"I think that's part of the problem, but not the root of the problem. The root of the problem is trying to sell off parts of football to a private equity environment.

"This poses a genuine existential threat to the game because the minute you sell off part of the crown jewels of football, clearly private equity has very different objectives and motivations to those of us who are custodians of the game."

Uefa's boycott would cover all Fifa competitions - including the men's and women's World Cups and Club World Cup - and be triggered if Fifa president Gianni Infantino's proposals are voted through by member associations across the globe.

It would see a quarter of Fifa's members refusing to feature, including some of the world's biggest and most successful nations.

McAllister, who was elected to the position in 2023, admitted she hoped the boycotts do not come to pass – but warned it was not an empty threat.

"I feel optimistic they won't, because the reality is the powerhouse of world football is Europe," she told BBC Radio Wales Drive.

"So by taking the very powerful clear and categorical stance we've taken, hopefully we've given some confidence to the other confederations that they can follow suit, and that together we can defeat the proposal.

"This is not an empty threat because we have to be prepared to follow through on it, but I find it incredible that FIFA would consider pushing on with World Cups without European nations there."

McAllister also urged urged other governing bodies to push back on the controversial plans.

"I very much hope it will not come to a boycott and I find it hard to imagine that FIFA will want to push us into that situation and there's a number of reasons for that - one being the status of European nations in world football," McAllister told BBC Radio 4's PM show.

"A World Cup without Europe isn't a World Cup at all.

"There is now a timescale involved which can be rescinded. There are other confederations such as the Asian and Central and North American confederations who have already made their concerns known.

If the situation continues, I think the stance we've taken today will give some incentive to the rest of the world of football to stand up to this awful proposal."

She also accused FIFA, and Infantino, of being primarily motivated by money, and cited other examples of questionable interventions that has prompted scepticism within UEFA.

"I can only speak from a UEFA standpoint, but this isn't the only one that has caused us a problem.

"The overturning of the red card, the so-called FIFA peace prize, all of that has caused us quite some concern from a European standpoint."

Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney was among those to voice their concerns at the emergency meeting held virtually on Thursday.

There are now questions over the UK bid for the Women's World Cup in 2035. The joint bid by England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales was the only valid submission for the 48-team tournament, with confirmation of host status set to be delivered in November.

Prior to that, all four nations will be involved in play-offs for the 2027 World Cup.

McAllister, a former Wales captain, added: "We've got a lot of stages before that; you don't need to tell me how significant that is for Rhian Wilkinson and the girls.

"It's something that I've worked towards for all of my career in sports administration and as a player, but I don't think it will come to that because Europe really holds most of the cards in terms of how the World Cup can operate and its financial viability.

"Imagine a Women's World Cup without Spain, without England, without France, without Germany and the same would apply to the men."