England super fan Andy Milne:

"I am fully behind Uefa's decision that was announced today. This is a question not only about the commercialism involved but its also the whole consultation process with senior figures inside Fifa's own structures coming out, many of them, to say they were 'completely in the dark'.

"When we're talking about Fifa, increasingly it seems we're talking about Infantino and one man's decisions, and a stop has to be put to it."

Image source, Getty Images

Jack Colback
Former Newcastle and Sunderland midfielder

It's a disgrace. Football is losing it's purity. The more money getting involved, the worse it's becoming for the fans who have travelled miles and miles and spending hard-earned money.

They are being put at the bottom of the pile and this is another example of that from an organisation like Fifa and Infantino. He is doing the opposite of what should be happening. Football is slowly losing its soul and we need change.

Chris Weatherspoon
Football Finance Writer at The Athletic

The figures Fifa are proposing to give to these member associations are extraordinary. At the moment there are 211 national member associations under Fifa. All of them get at least $8m every four years.

Under this plan, they are proposing in the next four-year cycle, every member association would get $40m. That is a pretty substantial amount for anyone. Consider how small some of the nations are that are under Fifa's banner, some of them already rely on Fifa for the vast majority of their revenue.

Daniel Austin
BBC Sport senior journalist

Fifa would receive a huge influx of cash in one go if the plan is approved, and the proportion earmarked for national federations would be made available from 1 January 2027, according to a letter sent to each country by Infantino.

He added: "The decision whether or not to proceed with this proposal belongs entirely to you.

"In exchange, all that is required is your trust - everything else remains the same."

The appeal is clear - vote to help make us richer and we'll make you richer too.

But each World Cup makes significantly more money than the last - it will probably be worth far more in four years, and four years after that, than it is now.

If Fifa sells stakes now, then the private investors will share in the rewards of that growth in the coming years, rather than Fifa and football doing so alone.

And ultimately, Fifa is a non-profit organisation under Swiss law, meaning its ultimate goal is - theoretically, at least - the long-term wellbeing of football rather than making a profit.

The big winners from the plan, then, would arguably be some of the smaller football nations, the private investors, and Infantino.

Chris Weatherspoon
Football Finance Writer at The Athletic

Fifa are a not-for-profit entity. They are not meant to make money. Even before this year they were sitting on £3bn worth of reserves and that is only going to go up because of the World Cup.

Fifa put themselves as a development organisation, they say they send money around the world to develop the sport. They talk about unity and humanitarianism. All of these words are not getting mentioned in the boardrooms of private investment firms.

There have been 23 Fifa men's World Cup tournaments. Thirteen of those have been won by Uefa nations, more than any other continental organisations.

Germany - 4

Italy - 4

Spain - 2

France - 2

England - 1

The other 10 have been won by teams from Conmebol nations - Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.

Chris Weatherspoon
Football Finance Writer at The Athletic

If you look at this year's World Cup, six of the eight quarter-finalists were from Uefa. If you strip them out, even if this plan went through and those teams say they aren't playing, the value just plummets.

Wales

Professor Laura McAllister, who was part of the meeting in which all 55 Uefa nations decided to boycott, told BBC Radio Wales: "There was absolute unity about the need to stop this catastrophic proposal of selling off part of football to private equity"

"This poses a genuine existential threat to the game because the minute you sell off part of the crown jewels of football, clearly private equity has very different objectives and motivations to those of us who are custodians of the game."

"UEFA and FIFA are not-for-profit organizations in that all of the money that is made through massive competitions like the World Cups go straight back into football. Even if you sell off 20% of the game, then that's 20% you never get back. Once you've done it, you've done it, and it effectively undermines the whole ethical base of what we're about in football."

Professor McAllister went on to say she "really hopes the boycotts don't happen."

"I feel optimistic they won't, because the reality is the powerhouse of world football is Europe."

Chris McLaughlin
BBC Scotland Sports News Correspondent

There were fears in Scotland that the SFA's position in this fight could be compromised by its president, Mike Mulrainey.

He is on the powerful Fifa finance committee and is known to have a fairly close working relationship with Fifa president Gianni Infantino.

The SFA have been keen to play this down and were making it clear before today's meeting that there would be full support for Uefa's position.

Full Corinthian spirit, they say. Let's not forget that the Tartan Army have had a taste of the big time this year and will be hoping a resolution can be found before they start dreaming of 2030.

Scotland

A statement from the Scottish FA in reaction to Uefa's announcement today:

The President and Chief Executive of the Scottish FA today attended a remote meeting of Uefa nations to discuss the proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise.

The Scottish FA Board agrees unequivocally with the concerns raised by all members over the manner in which these proposals have been issued, and deadline set, without a full consultation process or consideration to good governance.

The Board is fully supportive of the statement issued by Uefa following the meeting.

We are also aligned with our fellow national associations who seek to ensure our collective voice is heard resoundingly, and that the Corinthian spirit which underpins the beautiful game - invented here in Scotland and shared with the world - is protected.

England

The Football Association issued a short statement following Uefa's announcement:

"We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues and fully support the collective view.

“We oppose Fifa’s plans - the Fifa World Cup belongs to football and always will.”

We have a couple of statements to bring you from the Football Associations of England and Scotland...

Daniel Austin
BBC Sport senior journalist

Since being elected Fifa president in 2016, Infantino has earned long-standing, widespread backing from many countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, which have gained financially from various policies he has managed.

They include the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams, the growth in commercial and broadcast revenue Fifa has overseen, and a programme which allocates millions in funding directly to member countries every year.

That gives him a base of support which constitutes more than half of Fifa's 211 members.

Fifa votes require a simple majority - if more than half vote in favour, Infantino's plan will come into effect.

The proposal will appeal to many nations, particularly those lower down the football food chain, for whom a £15m windfall would be more than they would ordinarily make over several years.

The level of backing Infantino enjoys appears to have emboldened his approach to the presidency. Decisions such as the introduction of hydration breaks and a musical half-time show to the World Cup were taken by his administration without a vote of members, and would have been deemed unthinkable when he took charge a decade ago.

Image source, Getty Images

Simon Stone
BBC Sport chief football news reporter

Uefa is not the only organisation unhappy with the situation.

Concacaf, which covers North and Central America and hosted this year's World Cup, said in a statement: "We are deeply concerned by the lack of due process.

"We share the disappointment of many within our region and the game that this level of detail has been designed and shared publicly before any discussion with the relevant governance bodies and stakeholders has taken place.

"As leaders within football, we are the custodians of the game. Collectively, Fifa, the confederations and every member association have a responsibility to always act in the best interests of the sport."

The French Football Federation said: "It obviously raises many questions, particularly ‌since we, the member federations, were not involved and we lack the specific information needed to weigh in on matters that are clearly fundamental to the future of football."

La Liga president Javier Tebas accused Infantino of trying to buy votes before the next Fifa Congress in March.

"It doesn't seem like a reform. It seems like an electoral campaign financed with the future of football," Tebas said.

"Development cannot be used to buy votes or silences. The competitions and commercial rights of Fifa are not the personal patrimony of Infantino.

"Whoever mixes politics, discipline, money and power without transparency cannot lead anything.

"Infantino is not the solution to Fifa's governance. He is the problem."

If the Uefa nations go ahead with the boycott of all Fifa competitions, it would mean England have played their last match at a World Cup.

How does the song go again? 60 years of hurt? I think it might be a little longer than that now...

Image source, Getty Images

Uefa's threat to boycott Fifa competitions could have huge implications for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil.

European nations have been among the leading forces in women's football, with England, Spain, France and Germany all among the world's strongest teams, meaning a boycott would leave huge gaps in terms of quality and commercial value.

FIFA says the proposals would increase funding for football development, but questions remain over how much would reach the women's game.

Image source, Getty Images

The boycott would cover all Fifa competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups and Club World Cup, and be triggered if Fifa president Gianni Infantino's proposals are voted through by member associations.

The first time this stance will be tested at a senior tournament is October, when the Women's World Cup play-offs are due to be held.

Image source, Getty Images