UEFA voted unanimously Thursday to boycott all FIFA competitions. All 55 member associations backed the decision after an emergency meeting. In it, over 50 nations condemned FIFA president Gianni Infantino's privatization push, while other governing bodies like Concacaf have yet to weigh in.

UEFA Unanimously Rejects FIFA's World Cup Sale

"No UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive," the organization said in a statement.

The UEFA boycott targets Infantino's new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprises. The entity would hold commercial rights to all FIFA tournaments, with Josh Kushner's Thrive Eternal and JP Morgan selling minority stakes at a $20 billion valuation.

Critics fear outside investors could push to expand tournaments or reshape scheduling to maximize returns, putting more strain on players already stretched thin.

"Investor expectations become a daily pressure," the UEFA statement continued. "From that moment onwards, every decision on the international calendar, every decision on competition formats and every decision shaping the future of football is no longer driven by what best serves the game, but by what best serves shareholders."

Concacaf criticized the lack of consultation surrounding FIFA's plan, but has not committed to a similar walkout. Its 41 nations called their own emergency session for later Thursday.

However, the fallout is guaranteed to hit the women's game first.

UEFA's Boycott Could Impact the 2027 Women’s World Cup

Europe holds 11 of the 32 spots allocated to next summer's 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. Defending champion Spain, England, France, and Germany would all sit out if the walkout holds.

The boycott's earliest test comes in September, when Poland hosts the Women's U-20 World Cup.

England learned its path to the 2027 Women's World Cup on Wednesday. The Lionesses will face Greece in round one of the European qualifiers, with October's two-legged ties deciding who advances.

England's Road to the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil

Sarina Wiegman's side need to win two rounds of home-and-away fixtures to reach next year's World Cup in Brazil. If they get past Greece, Slovakia or Ukraine await in round two. England previously beat Ukraine 3-0 during the early stages of UEFA's World Cup qualifiers.

Still, the Lionesses were forced into the playoffs after Spain topped Group A1 and claimed Europe's automatic berth.

Round one of the playoffs kicks off the week of October 7th, with round two set for late November through early December.

Scotland face the Czech Republic first and could meet Sweden — semifinalists in three of the last four Women's World Cups — in round two. Wales drew Albania, a team they beat 4-0 in qualifying, while Northern Ireland takes on Portugal, and the Republic of Ireland travels to Kazakhstan.

"We're pleased with the draw against Greece, but the focus now is on making sure we're really well prepared," Wiegman said.

2027 UEFA Women's World Cup Qualifying Fixtures

Path 1

Path 2

Spain, France, and Denmark are headed to Brazil after Tuesday’s qualifiers. The League A group-leaders joined Germany to claim Europe’s four direct 2027 World Cup bids this week.

Defending champion Spain crushed Iceland 6-1 to finish first in qualifying Group A3 behind a Vicky Lopez brace. Meanwhile, Melvine Malard’s near-halftime heroics lifted France over the Republic of Ireland 1-0 to win Group A2 over the Netherlands. 

Denmark silenced Serbia 4-1 to climb Group A1’s ranks, netting two goals in the first 15 minutes before Amalie Vangsgaard curled in the game-winner. And the already-qualified Germans cemented their A4 dominance by shutting out Slovenia 2-0.

UEFA has 11 tournament slots, with League A’s top finishers earning automatic berths. However, the second- and third-place teams move to a playoff round with lower-league winners.

Playoff-bound 2023 World Cup runner-up and reigning Euros champion England became the week’s biggest surprise, ceding Group A3 to Spain despite beating Ukraine 3-0 behind new Manchester City signing Beth Mead’s 40th international goal.

“I’m happy with the performance but not with the result that we have to go into the playoffs,” Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman said postmatch. “We know what we have to do. I’m very positive that we will qualify anyway.”

The playoff draw is set for June 18th, with the continental showdown kicking off this October.

UEFA is gearing up for the 2027 World Cup, as England and Spain sparred for one of four automatic berths at this week’s Women’s European Qualifiers.

England landed the first blow against reigning champion Spain on Tuesday. The Lionesses defeated their continental rival 1-0 behind a Lauren Hemp strike to sit atop the league stage’s Group A4.

"Against Spain, you need to defend as a team really well, because their individual qualities are so high," said Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman. "We tried to annoy them a little bit and let them make mistakes."

"Everybody knows you can't go toe-to-toe with Spain for possession," added England midfielder Keira Walsh. "Our plan was to sit in a low block and when we had a chance, go forward. They had chances at the end but they're an unbelievable team."

How UEFA Women's European Qualifiers Set the World Cup Field

The Women's European Qualifiers run through December 2026, determining which European teams compete in the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. However, the tournament also impacts promotion and relegation ahead of the UEFA Women's Nations League, kicking off in 2027.

Four-group League A features Europe’s Top 16 teams — with each group’s winner earning a direct path to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

League A’s remaining 12 teams advance to end-of-year playoffs fielding UEFA’s seven additional berths, with second- and third-place finishers facing lower-ranked nations via top seeding.

Tuesday’s other UEFA Qualifying winners include Denmark, the Netherlands, and Germany, with three league-stage matchdays to go.

How to Watch European Teams at UEFA World Cup Qualifiers

UEFA Women's European Qualifiers return on Saturday, as England takes on Iceland at 12:30 PM GMT on ITVX in the UK.

Group A's Saturday lineup also features Denmark vs Italy, France vs Netherlands, and Austria vs Germany. See full schedule at UEFA.com.

With just one league-phase matchday left, a trio of unbeaten clubs — Barcelona, OL Lyonnes, and Chelsea — stand alone atop the 2025/26 Champions League table, leading the 18-team pack after all three squads notched midweek wins.

No. 1 Barcelona and No. 2 OL Lyonnes each have 13 points, with the Spanish contenders earning the edge over their French counterparts with a +15 goal differential.

Meanwhile, Chelsea sits in third with 11 points following a 6-0 drubbing of No. 17 AS Roma on Wednesday, though the Blues will need a result against No. 7 Wolfsburg next week to secure a spot in March's quarterfinals with a top-four finish.

Though the byes into the quarterfinals are still up for grabs, with just one matchday left before the knockouts, several of Europe's biggest teams have qualified for February's playoffs.

Wolfsburg alongside No. 10 Paris FC, No. 9 Manchester United, No. 8 Arsenal, No. 6 Juventus, No. 5 Real Madrid, and No. 4 Bayern Munich have already racked up enough points to advance out of the league phase.

Three clubs — No. 13 Vålerenga, No. 12 Oud-Heverlee Leuven, and No. 11 Atlético de Madrid — are fighting for the two remaining playoff tickets, with December 17th's simultaneous kickoff set to determine the winners.

How to watch the final 2025/26 Champions League league-phase matches

Determining both the first four UWCL quarterfinalists and the eight teams entering the playoffs, the final league-phase matchday will see all 18 clubs kicking off at 3 PM ET next Wednesday.

All 2025/26 Champions League matches will stream live on Paramount+.

Manchester United has a chance to bounce back from their first 2025/26 UEFA Women's Champions League defeat — a 5-2 rout at the hands of Wolfsburg last month — as the UWCL league phase continues with a series of exciting matchups this week.

"The Wolfsburg game, we gave away too many simple goals," Manchester United manager Marc Skinner said on Friday. "That's something we need to fix."

The Champions League debutantes have another difficult opponent waiting for them in their fifth league-phase match on Wednesday, when the Red Devils will contend with eight-time European champions OL Lyonnes, who have yet to suffer a loss in this season's competition.

That said, the return of USWNT goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce to the European competition will bolster United this week, with the 29-year-old officially available to play as she continues recovering from a fractured eye socket that kept her out of the final US training camp of 2025.

While Manchester United and their Wednesday opponent OL Lyonnes have all-but-guaranteed themselves at least a playoff spot in the 2025/26 UWCL knockout rounds, other top sides like the reigning six-time WSL champions Chelsea and current Champions League title-holders Arsenal chase them in the standings.

Both Chelsea and Arsenal face intriguing matchups during this week's UWCL competition, as the Gunners play Dutch club Twente on Tuesday before the Blues take on Italian side Roma on Wednesday.

How to watch this week's 2025/26 Champions League action

The fifth matchday of the 2025/26 UWCL league phase kicks off with Austria's St. Pölten against Italy's Juventus at 12:45 PM ET on Tuesday, with Arsenal taking the pitch against Twente at 3 PM ET.

Both Manchester United's clash with OL Lyonnes and Chelsea's bout with Roma will begin at 3 PM ET on Wednesday.

All 2025/26 Champions League matches will stream live on Paramount+.

Spain star Aitana Bonmati is out for the rest of the 2025/26 season due to injury, after the Barcelona midfielder fractured her left fibula on Sunday while training for the second leg of La Roja's 2025 Nations League finale against Germany.

The reigning three-time Ballon d'Or winner immediately departed her national team camp to return to Barcelona for further injury testing, with the Liga F club confirming on Tuesday morning that Bonmati underwent a "successful surgery" and will likely miss five months of play while recovering.

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With the 27-year-old notching six goals and three assists for her club so far this season, Barcelona will first take the pitch without their superstar for five matches this month — including a pair of 2025/26 UEFA Champions League bouts against Portugal's Benfica and France's Paris FC.

Meanwhile, though Bonmatí featured in world No. 1 Spain's 0-0 first-leg draw with No. 5 Germany on Friday, the already short-handed defending Nations League champions must now contend without their midfield standout in a winner-take-all second-leg match for the 2025 trophy on Tuesday.

How to watch Spain vs. Germany in the 2025 Nations League Final

The 2025 UEFA Nations League final between No. 1 Spain and No. 5 Germany will kick off at 12:30 PM ET on Tuesday, with live coverage on Paramount+.

World No. 1 Spain will take aim at a second-straight UEFA Nations League title this week, as La Roja take on No. 5 Germany in the first leg of the 2025 tournament's final at 2:30 PM ET on Friday.

The defending Nations League champions booked their spot in the 2025 final by dismantling No. 3 Sweden 5-0 on aggregate in the semifinal round, while Germany advanced after a tense 3-2 aggregate win over No. 6 France.

Germany must also contend with availability issues during Friday's match, as 28-year-old Bayern Munich forward and senior national team leading scorer Lea Schüller will be out due to family reasons.

To overcome that disadvantage, German head coach Christian Wück is reinforcing the team's back line, adding Athletic Bilbao defender Bibi Schulze Solano to the roster on Wednesday.

Also aiming to shut down Spain's offensive firepower on Friday is new NWSL champion goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who joined her German compatriots late following Gotham FC's title celebrations in New York this week.

While Spain and Germany will contend for the 2025 Nations League trophy this week, the pair — along with ousted semifinalists Sweden and France — have already booked spots in the top group of teams battling for tickets to the 2027 World Cup, with UEFA qualifying set to begin in 2026.

Europe's top soccer teams have started down their 2027 World Cup paths, with UEFA revealing the field of 2026 European Qualifiers in a Tuesday morning league-stage draw.

Reigning world champion and world No. 1 Spain headlines the results, with La Roja set to face 2023 World Cup runners-up — and newly minted back-to-back Euro champs — No. 4 England in Group A3, while Group A1 pits perennial titans No. 3 Sweden against rising stars No. 12 Italy.

Group A2 will see No. 6 France taking on the No. 11 Netherlands, with No. 5 Germany and No. 13 Norway headlining Group A4.

A total of 11 UEFA teams will clinch spots in the 2027 World Cup via the European Qualifiers, which kick off in March 2026, though one additional UEFA nation will earn the opportunity to try and punch a ticket to the Brazil-hosted tournament via an inter-continental playoff in February 2027.

Based on the 2025 Nations League results, UEFA teams fell into three leagues entering the 2026 qualifiers, with League A and B housing 16 squads each while League C holds 21.

The winners of League A's four groups will directly qualify for the World Cup, while the remaining League A teams along with top finishers from League B and C will move on to a series of playoffs to ultimately determine the seven other direct UEFA qualifiers, plus the inter-confederation play-off contender.

The 2026 UEFA World Cup Qualifiers League A Groups

World No. 5 Germany is heading to the 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League Final, advancing with a narrow 3-2 aggregate advantage after surviving a semifinals comeback bid from No. 6 France in Tuesday's 2-2 draw.

The German women will next face reigning Nations League champions and world No. 1 Spain in this winter's two-legged finale, after the perennial titans quickly dispatched No. 3 Sweden by adding a 1-0 Tuesday victory to advance on a lopsided 5-0 aggregate score.

The two-match 2025 Nations League championship will kick off on November 28th in Germany, before Spain hosts the second leg on December 2nd.

While Germany's international prowess isn't new — with the program's resume boasting two World Cup wins (2003, 2007), an Olympic gold medal (2016), and eight of the 14 total Euros titles — the German Federation is doubling down on the national team's future by making a landmark €100 million investment into the country's top-flight domestic league: the Women's Bundesliga.

The German Football Association (DFB) announced the plan last week, with the DFB General Assembly readying to vote on the funds at next month's meeting.

Once approved, the move will mark the largest single investment in German women's football history.

"We want to ensure that the women's Bundesliga can stand on its own two feet: economically, structurally, and in terms of visibility," DFB president Bernd Neuendorf told German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau. "It is an investment in the future — in equality, in opportunity, and in the growth of the women's game."