James Robson
FIFA has apologised for errors made over Gianni Infantino’s failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and says that senior staff in attendance at a crisis meeting in Morocco “reaffirmed their full support” for his presidency.
World soccer’s governing body attempted to present a unified front amid the turbulence caused by Infantino’s controversial plans, with calls for him to step down.
In a statement on Wednesday, FIFA said secretary general Mattias Grafstrom and members of the management board in attendance in Rabat had given their support to the embattled president.
Referring to the plans to sell profits in the World Cup through a commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), the statement said that “mistakes made were acknowledged” and that the “process should have been handled differently”.
FIFA said a letter had been sent to FIFA council and member associations apologising for errors and committed to “ensure they do not happen again”.
Grafstrom’s stated support was notable after he distanced himself from Infantino’s now abandoned plans in an email to all FIFA staff calling the last week a “sad and reproachable series of events”.
FIFA said Infantino had also reaffirmed his support for his secretary general, and that the FFE proposal was “now off the table”.
“There are always lessons to be learnt, and FIFA will continue to improve its processes in light of this experience,” it said.
It added that, with the proposal withdrawn, FIFA would “no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process” and would take all necessary measures to protect its reputation.
FIFA also denied a British media report suggesting Infantino, in seeking support for his presidency, had offered Morocco the hosting of the final at the 2030 World Cup. Spain, Portugal and Morocco are the main co-hosts for the 2030 edition. Morocco hope to host the final at the planned 115,000-seat King Hassan II Stadium near Casablanca; Spain have at least two contenders – the home stadiums of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
A FIFA spokesperson said it’s “false and misleading to claim the FIFA president has made any promise in relation to hosting the FIFA World Cup 2030 final. A decision will be made by FIFA in due course.”
It remains to be seen if the meeting will ease the pressure on Infantino, who aims to win a fourth and final term in office at the March elections.
‘Serious questions’
Earlier Wednesday, the association of European soccer leagues – including the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A – called for governance reform of FIFA. It described the proposal as “dangerous” and said it pointed to deeper concerns about how the governing body operates.
It said it raised “serious questions about FIFA’s governance, internal culture and decision-making”.
“Now more than ever, FIFA requires governance reform that ensures that all relevant stakeholders have a formal role in decisions that shape the future of our game.”
In the statement, European leagues hit out at the possibility of further expanding the World Cup to 64 teams and said that “FIFA must not be allowed to continue taking unilaterally disruptive decisions”.
It said that until there was reform it would reject the “expansion or creation” of FIFA competitions.
Portugal and Real Madrid great Luis Figo also called for Infantino to step down, saying he had “debased the office”.
“I could write 10,000 words on the problems at FIFA. But the solution needs only three: Infantino must go,” Figo, who was a candidate for the presidency in 2015 before withdrawing, wrote in the Daily Mail.
“I have loved football all my life. I was a professional player for 20 years. And believe me, I have met some rogues in my time in the game.
“But what I have seen exposed in the last 10 days is the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed.
“The man who would do that – the man who would try to force through such major changes just to enrich himself and his friends – is a relic of the game’s past and should have no part in its future.”
Canada’s Carney raises concerns
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney added to the global disenchantment, saying he no longer has confidence Infantino. He said the FIFA president committed a “fatal” governance failure by not consulting senior advisers.
“Certainly, I don’t have confidence in Mr Infantino,” said Carney, who had appeared alongside Infantino at several events during the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The tumultuous week has raised questions about Infantino’s presidency of FIFA ahead of elections in March.
UEFA, the governing body for European soccer, has applied the most intense pressure by voting to boycott the World Cup if Infantino pressed ahead with his proposal.
Even after Infantino’s climbdown UEFA said it had lost confidence in FIFA’s leadership, possibly paving the way for a challenge to his presidency. The governing body for North and Central American and Caribbean soccer (CONCACAF) also said FIFA leadership had “stopped putting football first”, while the Asian confederation, of which Australia are members, also opposed the plan.
There have also been signs of division within the organisation, with chief of global soccer development Arsene Wenger distancing himself from the plans. Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned last week and chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said staff were “deceived” by the president’s lack of openness.
AP, Reuters
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