> Thank go there is still a bastion of democracy/fairness left in Uefa
To be a bit cynical on this, I'm going to say that UEFA is worried the international scene will infringe on the European league scene.
They've found something to be outraged about, but the reality is more about the threat to their own bottom line than it is about the international game.
This is probably at least partially true. And they know that if they get together with South America, they can easily replace FIFA with another governing structure.
I'm a bit surprised to be downvoted on this, except maybe that it's seen as an attack on Europe.
There have been other attempts at a league superior to the individual national leagues -- like a permanent champions league. Establishment of anything more regular at the international level would be one more way this could be accomplished.
Each European league (and leagues from other confederations) has a vested interest in keeping the World Cup not just "free" but rare as well.
The time to be on the high horse against FIFA isn't 2026, it was against he labor conditions in Qatar, or the corruption to award the 2018 and 2022 hosts, or any number of other things.
However correct they are, they only complain when it's against their own self interest.
To be a bit cynical on this, I'm going to say that UEFA is worried the international scene will infringe on the European league scene.
They've found something to be outraged about, but the reality is more about the threat to their own bottom line than it is about the international game.