9 Countries Have Boycotted the World Cup - England Could Be Next

• UEFA held an emergency meeting and rejected FIFA president Gianni Infantino's proposal to sell a minority stake in the World Cup to private investors
• The Football Association publicly backed UEFA's stance, declaring full opposition to FIFA's plans to commercialise the tournament
• England's potential absence from the 2030 World Cup would not be unprecedented, as the Three Lions have missed multiple editions of the tournament

England could boycott the 2030 FIFA World Cup if FIFA president Gianni Infantino pushes ahead with controversial plans to sell a minority stake in the tournament through a new commercial venture.

Infantino's proposal forms part of FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new entity that would allow FIFA's 211 member associations to hold tradable equity stakes. Working alongside American banking giant JPMorgan, FIFA hopes to raise $4.2 billion from private investors.

The proposal has sparked fierce opposition from UEFA, which convened an emergency meeting involving all 55 member associations before unanimously rejecting the plan and threatening to boycott FIFA competitions.

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England Backs UEFA as World Cup Boycott Threat Grows

England have publicly supported UEFA's stance, raising the prospect of the Three Lions missing the 2030 World Cup even if they qualify.

In a statement, the Football Association said:

"We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues and fully support the collective view. We oppose FIFA's plans. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football and always will."

If UEFA follows through on its threat, host nations Spain and Portugal could also refuse to participate despite staging the tournament.

Infantino has reportedly given FIFA's member associations until September 19 to respond to the proposal. UEFA rejected the plans almost immediately, insisting the World Cup should never become an investment product.

According to The Telegraph, FA chairwoman Debbie Hewitt and chief executive Mark Bullingham both attended the emergency meeting, with Hewitt reportedly stating she had not been informed of FIFA's plans beforehand despite serving as one of Infantino's vice-presidents.

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England Among Nations With a History of World Cup Boycotts

It would not be the first time England have missed a World Cup by choice.

The Three Lions declined to enter the first three tournaments in 1930, 1934 and 1938, instead competing in the Home Nations Championship alongside Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

England's most recent World Cup absence came in 1994, when they failed to qualify.

Several other countries have also boycotted World Cups throughout history.

Turkey withdrew from the 1950 tournament because of travel costs, while Uruguay refused to defend their 1930 title in 1934 after several European nations had skipped the inaugural competition.

Argentina also boycotted the 1938 World Cup over hosting concerns, India did not participate in 1950 amid eligibility and logistical disputes, and the USSR were disqualified from qualifying in 1973 after refusing to play in Chile following the military coup.

If UEFA carries out its threat, the list of nations boycotting a World Cup could grow significantly in 2030.

Source: YEN.com.gh