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UEFA and the United States have officially boycotted both the Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 World Cups. The announcements come after years of scrutiny and criticism on the part of UEFA and the U.S. concerning both the manner in which the two World Cups were awarded, and the manner in which they are being prepared for.
Michel Platini, the President of UEFA, submitted the announcement to the Associated Press, in which he said, “After over 4 years of having our legitimate concerns about both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups ignored, trivialized, or otherwise actively circumnavigated, UEFA is left no choice but to boycott both of these tournaments. Hopefully this will allow real progress to be made into the investigations of accusations of bribery and human rights violations surrounding the tournaments.”
Later in the day, President of the United States Soccer Federation, Sunil Gulati, submitted his own statement to the Associated Press.
“The United States Soccer Federation, with the endorsement of President Barack Obama, echoes the sentiments put forth by Michel Platini and UEFA in their earlier statement…For too long FIFA has treated this matter with a sense of invulnerability. With our and UEFA’s boycotts, we hope to show FIFA, Russa, and Qatar that they cannot continue to break the law and violate human rights with impunity.”
Allegations of bribery and human rights violations have followed FIFA, Russia, and Qatar ever since the latter two were awarded the right to host the tournaments in December of 2010.
FIFA conducted an investigation into the bribery allegations, resulting in a report submitted to FIFA last September by the chairman of the investigative branch of FIFA’s Ethics Committee, Michael Garcia. A summary of the Garcia Report was released to the public, which Garcia called “erroneous,” and which led to his resignation.
On November 19, 2014, FIFA agreed to release a redacted, “legally appropriate version” of the Garcia Report, but it will not do so until five other ethics investigations are completed.
The handling of the report was cited by both UEFA and the United States as contributing factors to their decision to boycott the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Per the USSF’s statement: “The treatment of the Garcia Report showed a blatant disregard for legal integrity and proper investigatory practices.”
UEFA’s and the U.S.’s decision come as a shock to the world of soccer. Many governing bodies have denounced their boycott, including CONCACAF, the continental governing body of which the U.S. is a part of. In a statement of his own, CONCACAF President Jeffry Webb distanced his organization from the actions of its most politically powerful member:
“The United States of America is entitled to make its own decisions, but this reflects poorly on CONCACAF as a whole and it as an individual. Soccer is supposed to be a game of the people, a symbol of unity, and the decision to not partake in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups sets a dangerous precedent that puts that unity at permanent risk.”
The main qualifying draw for Russia 2018 will take place on July 25, 2015. It is unknown whether or not the U.S. will be included or whether or not one will take place for UEFA.
UEFA contributes more teams to the World Cup Finals than any other continental governing body, sending 13 of the 32 that went to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
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