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Gianni Infantino apologises for World Cup investment fiasco, survives as FIFA president
Gianni Infantino convened members of FIFA's management board at the governing body's Africa office in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday.
Gianni Infantino on Wednesday apologised for the "errors" surrounding his failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors but will remain FIFA president after senior officials at a crisis meeting in Morocco "reaffirmed their full support" for his leadership.
Infantino's proposal, known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), sought to place the commercial rights to FIFA's biggest competitions—including the men's World Cup, women's World Cup and Club World Cup—into a separate commercial entity. FIFA would then sell a minority stake in that company to outside investors, with the venture reportedly valued at around $20 billion.
The proposal sparked fierce opposition across world football. UEFA led the backlash, with all 55 member associations reportedly threatening to boycott the World Cup if the plan went ahead, branding it a "shabby, back-room, opaque deal". CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation also voiced concerns, piling further pressure on FIFA.
Facing mounting criticism, Infantino was forced to abandon the proposal, but calls for his removal as FIFA president quickly gathered momentum.
In response, Infantino convened members of FIFA's management board at the governing body's Africa office in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday. Notably, much of the criticism had also come from within FIFA itself, including secretary general Mattias Grafström, who was present at the meeting.
In an internal memo sent to FIFA staff on Tuesday, Grafström had described the situation as "a sad and reproachable series of events".
However, following the four-hour meeting in Rabat, FIFA sought to present a united front. In a statement released afterwards, the governing body confirmed that Grafström and the management board had backed Infantino's leadership despite the controversy.
The statement acknowledged that "mistakes made were acknowledged" and that the "process should have been handled differently".
FIFA added that a letter had been sent to the FIFA Council and member associations apologising for the errors while committing to ensure "they do not happen again".
Grafström's public backing was particularly significant after his sharply worded internal memo distancing himself from Infantino's now-abandoned plans.
The statement also noted that Infantino had reaffirmed his confidence in the FIFA secretary general.
FIFA confirmed that the FFE proposal is "now off the table".
"There are always lessons to be learned, and FIFA will continue to improve its processes in light of this experience," the statement said.
However, FIFA also struck a defiant tone, warning that it "will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation."
Earlier on Wednesday, reports claimed Infantino had promised Morocco the right to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final in exchange for political backing during the controversy. FIFA dismissed the report as "false and misleading", insisting that a decision on the final venue for the tournament—co-hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal—would be taken "in due course".
