FAI confirm boycott of Ireland teams from World Cup competition fixtures

Paul Cooke participated in Tuesday’s emergency online summit. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

The FAI have broken their silence on Fifa’s sell-off plans, confirming their boycott of World Cup fixtures in tandem with Uefa’s stance.

FAI president Paul Cooke participated in Tuesday’s emergency online summit of all 55 European nations, resulting in a unified objection to the bombshell revelation by Gianni Infantino of his wish to sell 20% of World Cup rights to private investors.

“The FAI supports Uefa, along with all member associations, in rejecting Fifa’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the Fifa World Cup and other Fifa competitions to private investors,” read their statement.

“The association believes that decisions of this significance must be founded on strong governance, transparency and meaningful consultation.

“In solidarity with Uefa’s position, Ireland's national teams will not participate in Fifa competitions while these proposals remain under consideration.”

In practical terms, the visible manifestation for Irish teams won’t be tested until the women’s World Cup playoff semi-final against Kazakhstan.

They are scheduled for the first leg in Astana on October 9, followed by the return four days later at Pairc Uí Chaoímh. The winner is due to progress to meet either Belgium or Poland in the final for a place at next year’s World Cup in Brazil.

A continued stand-off would also impact on the Ireland men’s U17s. They have qualified to be part of the 48-team tournament in Qatar, starting on November 19.

Uefa said in their earlier statement members, collectively, are unavailable for World Cup competition fixtures “so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership.” 

Another of Fifa’s confederations, CONCACAF, rejected Infantino’s proposal without replicating the European body’s position of going on strike.

The confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, said that their meeting "tasked their Fifa council members with instructing the Fifa president to ensure that any matter follows the proper governance processes via staff and Fifa council, in accordance with the Fifa statutes."