FIFA President Gianni Infantino will remain in office following a high-level crisis meeting held in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday. The session brought together senior executives from the global football governing body, including Secretary General Mattias Grafström, to address the intense fallout from the announcement of a private investment plan that was abandoned last week.
The proposal, which was ultimately scrapped, aimed to invite third parties to hold minority, non-controlling stakes in a new commercial subsidiary known as the "FIFA Forward Enterprise" (FFE). The plan had projected the potential to raise up to $4.2 billion, based on an initial equity valuation of $20 billion.
However, it triggered a significant backlash across the football community, leading several internal figures, including Grafström, to distance themselves from the initiative.
Despite the controversy, FIFA released a statement late Wednesday confirming that Infantino continues to hold the "full support" of both Grafström and the members of the FIFA management board. The governing body admitted that "mistakes" were made regarding the FFE, noting that the organization did not intend for the FIFA Council or Member Associations to feel excluded from the process.
FIFA acknowledged that the situation should have been handled differently and admitted to further errors occurring after the proposal was leaked to the media. A formal letter of apology has been sent to member associations, accompanied by a commitment to prevent such errors in the future.
Moving forward, FIFA stated it would no longer tolerate attacks on its integrity, governance, or due process, promising to take necessary measures to protect its reputation. The organization also addressed reports from The Times of London alleging that Infantino had promised Morocco hosting rights for the 2030 World Cup final in exchange for support.
FIFA dismissed these claims as "false and misleading," stating that a decision on the tournament host would be made in due course.
The meeting took place amid rising pressure for Infantino’s resignation. Earlier on Wednesday, Portuguese football legend Luis Figo issued a scathing critique, accusing the president of having "debased the office" and calling for him to step down immediately.
UEFA has also been highly critical, threatening to boycott FIFA events and stating that current leadership has lost the confidence of the football family.
Several national associations, including those from Wales, Serbia, and Sweden, have withdrawn their support for Infantino’s re-election bid.
Furthermore, political figures such as British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Canadian PM Mark Carney have publicly expressed a lack of confidence in the FIFA boss. These developments follow existing scrutiny regarding Infantino’s management of the 2026 World Cup and his personal ties to US President Donald Trump.
