UEFA issued a statement on Thursday (August 6) stating that FIFA President Gianni Infantino's apology changes nothing and its 55 member associations remained committed to their plan to boycott the World Cup.

UEFA's statement went on to stress that FIFA had failed to meet their key conditions for a return.

"First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again," UEFA said in a statement.

"These conditions have not been met.

"In addition, UEFA made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino's presidency. That position holds."

UEFA added that FIFA employees "whose careers depend on his favour" agreeing with Infantino did not alter their position.

The statement comes a day after FIFA's leadership gathered in Rabat to publicly reaffirm support for President Gianni Infantino, with the governing body apologising to its 211 members for mistakes surrounding the abandoned proposal to sell a slice of the World Cup's commercial future.

FIFA also pledged to review the processes that led to the controversy that sparked the fiercest revolt of Infantino's tenure after national federations complained they had been sidelined.

In a statement issued after Wednesday's meeting, FIFA acknowledged that the proposal "should have been handled differently" and said it was not their intention for the FIFA Council or associations to feel excluded from the process.

As the dust settles, a review will now be conducted before a report is presented to the Council at its next meeting and the conciliatory tone marked a stark contrast with the increasingly public criticism that forced FIFA into retreat.

However, FIFA can no longer dodge questions raised by several confederations, leagues and national associations over how major strategic decisions are made and communicated, and the concerns extend beyond the doomed commercial rights proposal.

European Leagues criticised FIFA over what it described as an unrealistically short four-week assessment timeline on a separate proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams.

The body, which represents over 1,300 European clubs, reinforced complaints that stakeholders are too often presented with decisions rather than consulted on them.

However, FIFA insists that all actions taken over the commercial rights proposal complied with their regulations and stressed that mistakes related to process and communication rather than breaches of governance rules.

FIFA also attempted to present a united front, warning critics that, with the project now abandoned, it would "no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process."

Jordan's FA President Prince Ali bin Hussein also said he would not endorse Infantino despite finally receiving money outstanding for their participation in the 2025 Arab Cup.

For Infantino, the immediate priority has been containing the political fallout ahead of March's presidential election in Morocco, where he will seek a fourth term through 2031.

Wednesday's meeting delivered that objective, with FIFA's management board and Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom publicly endorsing the president, while Infantino returned the backing by praising the administration's work.

Grafstrom had sent an internal memo to staff lamenting the "sad and reproachable series of events" and although he did not mention Infantino by name, he noted that "individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go."

Any suggestion of lingering tensions, however, appeared to have been set aside publicly, with Infantino later posting a photo of the pair smiling for the camera and giving a thumbs-up at a women's Africa Cup of Nations match in Rabat.

But several influential stakeholders, including European soccer's governing body UEFA, have openly questioned Infantino's leadership, while criticism has also emerged from confederations like CONCACAF, which runs the game in North and Central America and the Caribbean, and the Asian Football Confederation.

At the same time, Infantino continues to enjoy strong support from many smaller associations, particularly across Africa and Asia, where FIFA development funding remains central to national soccer programs.

Infantino still appears well placed politically with no viable challenger emerging ahead of the presidential election, but the controversy has shifted the spotlight onto FIFA's internal decision-making.

Any future proposals that involve commercial strategy, tournament expansion or governance reforms are likely to face significantly greater demands for transparency, consultation and accountability.

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UEFA says Infantino apology changes nothing and may still boycott FIFA competitions

VIDEO SHOWS: GRAPHICS SHOWING WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM UEFA, SCREENGRABS OF FIFA PRESIDENT, GIANNI INFANTINO'S APOLOGY, FOOTAGE OF VENUE FOR WEDNESDAY'S MEETING IN MOROCCO, ARCHIVE FOOTAGE OF UEFA, FIFA, INFANTINO AND UEFA PRESIDENT, ALEKSANDER CEFERIN

SHOWS: GRAPHIC (AUGUST 6, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

1. GRAPHIC SHOWING WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM UEFA, READING (English): "UEFA’s associations were very clear about the conditions attached to the non participation in FIFA competitions."

2. GRAPHIC SHOWING WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM UEFA, READING (English): "First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again."

3. GRAPHIC SHOWING WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM UEFA, READING (English): "These conditions have not been met. In addition, UEFA made it abundantly clear in it’s statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency. That position holds."

4. GRAPHIC SHOWING WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM UEFA, READING (English): "Yesterday’s announcement that some people employed by the FIFA President (and whose careers depend on his favour) agree with him changes nothing.”

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (ARCHIVE - NOVEMBER 12, 2025) (REUTERS - Access All)

5. UEFA PRESIDENT, ALEKSANDER CEFERIN SHAKING HANDS AND SPEAKING WITH PEOPLE AT LAUNCH OF THE 2028 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

6. CEFERIN AND OTHER POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS

7. CEFERIN SMILING BEFORE WALKING WITH CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF WALES, NOEL MOONEY (LEFT) STANDING NEXT TO HIM

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (ARCHIVE - FEBRUARY 12, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

8. CEFERIN POSING WITH FIFA PRESIDENT, GIANNI INFANTINO AT UEFA 50TH ORDINARY CONGRESS

NYON, SWITZERLAND (ARCHIVE - MARCH 4, 2016) (REUTERS - Access all)

9. UEFA LOGO ON WALL AT HEADQUARTERS

NYON, SWITZERLAND (ARCHIVE - DECEMBER 4, 2019) (REUTERS - Access all)

10. VARIOUS OF FLAGS OUTSIDE UEFA HEADQUARTERS

INTERNET (AUGUST 5, 2026) (FIFA.COM - Access all) (MUTE)

11. SCREEN-GRAB OF HEADLINE TO FIFA PRESS RELEASE

12. SCREEN-GRAB OF TEXT FROM PRESS RELEASE

INTERNET (AUGUST 5, 2026) (FIFA - No commercial use. No resales. No monetisation) (MUTE)

13. SCREEN-GRAB OF FIRST PAGE OF LETTER SIGNED BY FIFA PRESIDENT, GIANNI INFANTINO

14. SCREEN-GRAB OF SECOND PAGE OF LETTER

SALE, RABAT, MOROCCO (AUGUST 5, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

15. VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF ROYAL MOROCCAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION LOCATED NEXT TO FIFA AFRICA OFFICE - THE VENUE FOR FIFA'S EMERGENCY MEETING

16. CAMERA OPERATORS AND JOURNALISTS WAITING OUTSIDE VENUE

17. SIGN READING (Arabic/French/Amazigh): "ROYAL MOROCCAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION"

18. VARIOUS OF VENUE'S EXTERIOR

19. CONVOY OF FIFA PRESIDENT, GIANNI INFANTINO, ARRIVING AT VENUE

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM (ARCHIVE - MARCH 1, 2025) (IFAB - Must on-screen courtesy: "IFAB". No commercial use. No resales. No monetisation) (MUTE)

20. INFANTINO SITTING DOWN AT A INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION BOARD (IFAB) MEETING

21. INFANTINO GIVING A THUMBS UP WITH CONCACAF PRESIDENT AND FIFA VICE PRESIDENT, VICTOR MONTAGLIANI SITTING NEXT TO HIM

22. INFANTINO SPEAKING WITH FIFA SECRETARY GENERAL. MATTIAS GRAFSTROM

23. INFANTINO SPEAKING AT MEETING WITH GRAFSTROM, MONTAGLIANI AND THE HEAD OF FIFA REFEREEING, PIERLUIGI COLLINA (FAR LEFT) LISTENING

24. INFANTINO SPEAKING TO IRISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION CHIEF EXECUTIVE, PATRICK NELSON

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES (RECENT - JULY 19, 2026) (U.S. NETWORK POOL - No use USA)

25. FIFA PRESIDENT, GIANNI INFANTINO, STANDING WITH U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, AND MEXICO PRESIDENT, CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, AT WORLD CUP FINAL AWARD CEREMONY

26. INFANTINO AND TRUMP PRESENTING MEDALS TO SPANISH PLAYERS

27. INFANTINO AND TRUMP SHAKING HANDS WITH, PUTTING MEDAL ON SPAIN FORWARD, LAMINE YAMAL (NUMBER 19)

28. INFANTINO AND TRUMP PRESENTING WORLD CUP TROPHY TO SPAIN CAPTAIN, RODRI

29. SPAIN FOOTBALL TEAM LIFTING TROPHY, CHEERING

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, UNITED STATES (ARCHIVE - JUNE 19, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

30. VARIOUS OF INFANTINO OUTSIDE GILLETTE STADIUM AHEAD OF WORLD CUP MATCH BETWEEN MOROCCO AND SCOTLAND

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND (ARCHIVE - OCTOBER 2, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

31. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF FIFA HEADQUARTERS