England defender Lucy Bronze has thrown her support behind Uefa's threatened boycott of Fifa competitions, arguing that protecting the long-term interests of football outweighs any short-term disruption to major tournaments, including the Women's World Cup.
The 34-year-old spoke publicly on the matter after Uefa confirmed it was maintaining pressure on Fifa despite an apology from president Gianni Infantino over disputed proposals to bring private investors into the governing body's affairs. Uefa had previously threatened to pull its member nations out of Fifa events in response to those plans, and the European body has made clear that Infantino's apology does little to resolve the underlying dispute.
Bronze, one of the most experienced and respected figures in the England squad, framed the potential boycott as a necessary sacrifice for the sport's future rather than a setback for current players. "I think the message that we stand by as players, and obviously as European competitions as well is, it's for the good of the game," she said. She continued: "If that means boycotting competitions, then that has to happen. It's for the future of the game and not just for me today and tomorrow. It's for all the little girls or little boys who come after us, to make sure that they're in a good place when the game's moving forward in decades to come, not just tomorrow."
Her comments carry particular weight given the timing. England, along with Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, are set to compete in crucial 2027 Fifa Women's World Cup qualifying play-offs in October. Any Uefa-led withdrawal from Fifa competitions could directly affect those nations' participation, making Bronze's willingness to accept such a cost all the more striking.
Uefa has been explicit that Infantino's apology does not settle the dispute. In a statement released on Thursday, the governing body said the apology "changes nothing," noting that while the contested investor plans have been shelved, its second demand — firm guarantees that similar proposals will not resurface in the future — has not been met. Uefa also reaffirmed that it has lost confidence in Infantino's leadership of world football's governing body.
The standoff is expected to face its first real test next month, when the Fifa U20 Women's World Cup gets underway in Poland. How Uefa nations approach that tournament could offer an early indication of whether the boycott threat will translate into concrete action.
The dispute has already produced tangible political consequences within football's administration. Earlier this week, the English Football Association and the Football Association of Wales withdrew their backing for Infantino's re-election bid. Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation have also expressed criticism of his leadership in recent days.
Infantino, however, still retains support in other parts of the world. The Confederation of African Football publicly backed him on Thursday, while national federations in Mexico and Argentina have likewise voiced continued confidence in his presidency, underlining a growing divide among football's regional powers over the direction of Fifa's leadership.
With qualifying play-offs approaching and no resolution yet in sight, the coming weeks are likely to prove decisive in determining whether Uefa's threatened boycott becomes reality — and what that could mean for European nations' World Cup ambitions.
Based on reporting from The Independent (independent-football).