FIFA said Wednesday that its secretary-general and management board members in attendance at a meeting in Morocco had reaffirmed their support for president Gianni Infantino amid mounting pressure over his controversial business proposal.
The governing body acknowledged mistakes in handling plans to sell World Cup profits through a commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). In a statement, FIFA said the process should have been managed differently and committed to preventing similar errors going forward. The proposal has been abandoned, and the organization sent an apology to FIFA Council and member associations.
Despite the internal show of support, Infantino faces significant external criticism. The European Association of Professional Football Leagues called for governance reform, describing the FFE proposal as dangerous and questioning FIFA’s decision-making processes. The group said it would reject expansion or creation of FIFA competitions until substantive reforms occurred. Portugal and Real Madrid legend Luis Figo also called for Infantino’s resignation, stating he had compromised the position. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he no longer has confidence in the FIFA president, characterizing his governance approach as a fatal failure.
UEFA previously voted to boycott the World Cup if the FFE plan proceeded and has since stated it lost confidence in FIFA leadership, potentially setting the stage for a challenge to Infantino’s presidency at elections scheduled for March. CONCACAF similarly expressed concern that FIFA leadership had stopped prioritizing football. Internal divisions have also emerged, with chief of global football development Arsène Wenger and senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro distancing themselves from the proposal. The organization denied reports that Infantino offered Morocco the 2030 World Cup final in exchange for support.
Infantino is pursuing a fourth and final term as president following this tumultuous week of controversy.
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