Mansion Sports – The conflict between world football's governing body and European football's governing body has reached a boiling point.

UEFA has issued a strongly worded new statement accusing Gianni Infantino of attempting to turn football into a "commodity" by selling its biggest tournaments to private investors under the guise of development.

In its strongest attack since the crisis began, the European governing body accused FIFA of exploiting the sport "to enrich itself and its circle of friends" through the controversial plan to establish a commercial company that would own the rights to major competitions, particularly the World Cup, and sell shares in the company.

At the core of Infantino's scheme is a promise to 211 national associations: US$40 million for each, with an initial payment of US$20 million for those who register before the September 19 deadline.

Rejection of FIFA's Proposal

By rejecting the proposal, Infantino warned the associations that their returns would fall to just US$2.7 billion, representing a reduction of as much as 75%.

Many parties viewed this as a blatant form of coercion. The Football Association and several other major national associations expressed strong objections.

UEFA responded forcefully on Wednesday with a brief but sharp statement: "Today we became aware of a deadline imposed by FIFA on associations to support their proposal, otherwise they will lose these extraordinary payments. That alone reveals everything about this plan."

The statement continued: "After consulting with all stakeholders in football, we reaffirm that there is widespread and growing opposition to FIFA's scheme. FIFA cannot continue to use our sport to enrich itself and its friends."

"We are capable of developing the game in the right way," the statement continued, "and now is the time to put the interests of associations, clubs, competitions, players, and supporters first."

UEFA's Crucial Meeting

All 55 UEFA member associations are scheduled to hold a crucial meeting on Thursday to unify their position and deliver a collective response to Infantino's plan to privatize the World Cup.