The 136 countries which could boycott the World Cup as Asia stands with Europe and North America
Every UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF nation as federations move to challenge FIFA over plans to allow investors to buy into the World Cup
More than 130 countries could boycott the next World Cup if FIFA continues with its plan to sell stakes in the tournament to private investors.
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AFC, the Asian Football Confederation, announced on Friday morning that it would follow the lead of other federations in opposing FIFA.
FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has pledged to move ahead with his plan, despite European federation UEFA and North and Central American federation CONCACAF leading a fierce backlash.
The world football body said: "Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain."
In a statement released on Thursday night, Concacaf said its members had expressed "deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal".
UEFA said: “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross."
Both federations have threatened to pull out, and they were joined by the AFC members on Friday morning.
An AFC statement read: "The AFC stands in solidarity with UEFA and CONCACAF in expressing serious concerns over FIFA’s proposal to introduce private investment into FIFA's flagship competitions and the decision-making process.
"The fact that the situation has reached the point where the real possibility of a FIFA World Cup boycott has entered public discourse should concern everyone who cares about the future of our game. Football should never have been placed in such a position."
There are 96 nations in UEFA and CONCACAF, but Russia is currently suspended, and six smaller Central American nations are not FIFA members.
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UEFA members
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic (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 (currently suspended from competitions)
- San Marino
- Scotland
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
- Wales
CONCACAF Members
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Bonaire (CONCACAF full member, non-FIFA)
- British Virgin Islands
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Curaçao
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- French Guiana (CONCACAF full member, non-FIFA)
- Grenada
- Guadeloupe (CONCACAF full member, non-FIFA)
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Martinique (CONCACAF full member, non-FIFA)
- Mexico
- Montserrat
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Puerto Rico
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Martin (CONCACAF full member, non-FIFA)
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Sint Maarten (CONCACAF full member, non-FIFA)
- Suriname
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- United States
- U.S. Virgin Islands
AFC members
The Asian Football Confederation is broken down into several sub-divisions.
West Asian Football Federation (WAFF)
- Bahrain
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Oman
- Palestine
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Syria
- United Arab Emirates
- Yemen
Central Asian Football Association (CAFA)
- Afghanistan
- Iran
- Kyrgyzstan
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
South Asian Football Federation (SAFF)
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- India
- Maldives
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
East Asian Football Federation (EAFF)
- China
- Chinese Taipei (Taiwan)
- Guam
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- Macau
- Mongolia
- North Korea (DPR Korea)
- Northern Mariana Islands (Associate AFC member)
- South Korea (Korea Republic)
ASEAN Football Federation (AFF)
- Australia
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- East Timor (Timor-Leste)
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Vietnam