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UEFA set to end FIFA boycott over failed World Cup plan

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UEFA is set to formally withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA competitions after receiving assurances Gianni Infantino's failed World Cup sell-off plan will not be revived. UEFA's member federations are meeting on Thursday in Monaco ahead of the Champions League draw, where they are expected to end the boycott threat, a person familiar with the proposal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Ruling out a boycott will clear six European teams to continue preparing for the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup that kicks off Sept. 5 in Poland. France and Spain named their squads last week for the 24-nation tournament which risked becoming an unwanted battleground in European football's pushback against Infantino's private investor plan.

Infantino infuriated the sport's leaders worldwide last month when his plan for a $20 billion subsidiary controlling FIFA commercial rights including the World Cup was revealed by British daily The Times. The spinoff was to be 20% owned by investors led by a New York fund created by Joshua Kushner. The FIFA president dropped his proposal within four days amid a furious backlash led by UEFA, including the boycott threat, with support from the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf.

UEFA then said it wanted assurances the spinoff, to be called FIFA Forward Enterprise, would not be presented in a different form. That assurance was now received, the person told the AP. Meanwhile, the Italian football federation became the latest in a growing list of nations to withdraw its support for Infantino, with Romania following suit on Wednesday.