FIFA Backs Gianni Infantino After Apology Over Abandoned World Cup Stake-Sale Plan

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has apologised for mistakes made during the handling of his controversial plan to sell stakes in the commercial profits of FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, but has retained the backing of senior executives after an emergency summit in Morocco.

The meeting was held on Wednesday at FIFA’s Africa office in Rabat following growing criticism from UEFA, European leagues, national associations and several senior figures within FIFA over the now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.

In a statement released after the four-hour meeting, FIFA said secretary general Mattias Grafström and members of the management board in attendance had “reaffirmed their full support” for Infantino’s presidency.

Infantino and Grafström also sent a joint letter to FIFA vice-presidents, the FIFA Council and all 211 member associations in which they acknowledged that errors had been made and apologised for the way the process had been handled.

The apology is significant because Grafström had circulated an internal memo to FIFA staff on Tuesday describing the affair as “a sad and reproachable series of events”, signalling rare internal dissent at the highest level of the organisation.

FIFA confirmed that the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal is now “off the table”.

FIFA Admits Mistakes In Handling The Proposal

The abandoned proposal would have created a new commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, through which FIFA planned to sell a minority stake in future revenues from its tournaments.

The plan reportedly sought to raise USD 4.2 billion by selling around 20% of the subsidiary, valuing it at USD 20 billion.

According to reports, member associations were told they could receive USD 40 million each if they supported the proposal.

FIFA acknowledged on Wednesday that the process had been flawed, saying it was never the intention for Council members or member associations to feel excluded and that the proposal “should have been handled differently”.

The governing body also admitted mistakes were made after details of the plan were leaked to the media in late July.

The controversy escalated rapidly, and the timeline of Infantino’s plan became a major talking point within world football. The proposal emerged publicly on 28 July, drew immediate resistance from senior FIFA officials and confederations, and was withdrawn by Infantino on 1 August after a fierce backlash.

UEFA then declared it had lost confidence in FIFA’s leadership, while Wednesday’s Rabat meeting was convened to contain the fallout and present a united front.

Critics have argued that the controversy exposed deeper concerns about transparency, accountability and governance within FIFA.

UEFA, European Leagues And National Associations Increase Pressure

Despite FIFA’s attempt to draw a line under the controversy, opposition from Europe remains intense.

UEFA had already described the FFE proposal as a “shabby, back-room, opaque deal” and said it no longer had confidence in Infantino’s leadership. The European Leagues association, which includes the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, also demanded governance reforms.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the organisation said the episode raised “serious questions about FIFA’s governance, internal culture and decision-making” and argued that stakeholders must have a formal role in decisions affecting the future of the sport.

Several national associations have also begun withdrawing support for Infantino ahead of the next FIFA presidential election.

Former Portugal and Real Madrid star Luis Figo called for the FIFA president to resign, saying he had “debased the office that he promised to elevate”.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose country co-hosted the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico, also said he no longer had confidence in Infantino. Carney described the failure to consult senior advisers as a “fatal governance error”.

FIFA Denies Morocco Report As Infantino Eyes Fourth Term

While admitting mistakes, FIFA also adopted a defiant tone in its official statement.

The organisation insisted that all actions related to the FFE proposal had been taken “in full compliance with the FIFA regulatory framework” and warned that it “will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process”.

FIFA added that it believed the outcome of the Rabat meeting would help “strengthen FIFA’s governance” and “restore confidence in the organisation”.

Earlier on Wednesday, FIFA rejected a report alleging that Infantino had promised Morocco the right to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final in exchange for political support.

The 2030 tournament will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, and all three countries are expected to bid for the final. Morocco hopes to stage the match at the planned King Hassan II Stadium near Casablanca, while Spain has potential bids centred on the home grounds of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

A FIFA spokesperson said it was “false and misleading” to suggest any promise had been made and that a decision on the final venue would be taken “in due course”.

Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, is expected to seek a fourth term at the FIFA Congress in Morocco in March 2027. Potential challengers have until 18 November 2026 to enter the race, and a candidate must secure a majority of votes from FIFA’s 211 member associations.

For now, Infantino has survived the most serious internal revolt of his decade-long presidency.

However, the fallout from the FIFA Forward Enterprise controversy, coupled with mounting calls for governance reform, suggests that the battle over FIFA’s leadership is far from over.