UEFA maintains World Cup boycott threat despite FIFA push to end internal turmoil

Aug 6 : FIFA's bid to move past the biggest internal crisis of Gianni Infantino's presidency is unlikely to end scrutiny of how world soccer is governed, with UEFA saying on Thursday that it remained committed to boycotting the World Cup.

A day after FIFA's leadership gathered in Rabat to publicly reaffirm support for Infantino, the world governing body apologised to its 211 members for mistakes around the abandoned proposal to sell a slice of the World Cup's commercial future.

FIFA also pledged to review the processes that led to the controversy that sparked the fiercest revolt of Infantino's tenure after national federations complained they had been sidelined.

In a statement issued after Wednesday's meeting, FIFA acknowledged that the proposal "should have been handled differently" and said it was not their intention for the FIFA Council or associations to feel excluded from the process.

As the dust settles, a review will now be conducted before a report is presented to the Council at its next meeting and the conciliatory tone marked a stark contrast with the increasingly public criticism that forced FIFA into retreat.

However, FIFA can no longer dodge questions raised by several confederations, leagues and national associations over how major strategic decisions are made and communicated, and the concerns extend beyond the doomed commercial rights proposal.

UEFA'S WORLD CUP BOYCOTT

European soccer's governing body UEFA stressed that its key conditions for a return to FIFA competitions had not been met.

"First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again," UEFA said in a statement.

"The