The European soccer governing body, UEFA has voted to boycott future FIFA competitions in response to FIFA’s controversial plan to launch the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a move UEFA claims threatens the integrity and tradition of the game. This boycott raises a pressing question: which nations would be missing from the world’s most celebrated football events if UEFA follows through?
UEFA comprises 55 member national associations. This includes powerhouse nations such as Spain, the reigning men's 2026 World Cup champions, as well as England, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, and many more.
“The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies, painstakingly
built over generations by players, national teams, and supporters from every corner of the globe,” UEFA said in its official statement. “No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale.”
Here is a list of nations that would be absent if they do not participate in future FIFA competitions.
UEFA member countries
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- England
- Estonia
- Faroe Islands
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Israel
- Italy
- Kazakhstan
- Kosovo
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Northern Ireland
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Republic of Ireland
- Romania
- Russia
- San Marino
- Scotland
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
- Wales
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What countries are in UEFA? Members set to boycott FIFA
