FIFA President Gianni Infantino has summoned senior officials to a crisis meeting in Morocco this Wednesday as he fights to save his presidency. The FIFA leader is under significant pressure following the collapse of his proposal to sell off a portion of the World Cup to private investors, a plan that was officially scrapped in the early hours of Saturday morning. Infantino, who plans to stand for re-election next March, has been in Morocco since last week to attend an event celebrating the 27th anniversary of King Mohammed VI’s ascension to the throne. Morocco is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal and is currently vying to stage the final.
Internal dissent has intensified within FIFA. Secretary general Mattias Grafstrom described the abandoned sell-off plans as a “sad and reproachable series of events” in an internal email to staff on Tuesday. Grafstrom, one of FIFA’s top bosses, noted that while the current turmoil is “difficult to comprehend and accept,” he added that “individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes and unstable moments come and go.” Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global football development, distanced himself from the proposals, claiming he had no prior knowledge of them before media reports emerged. Wenger stated that the decision to scrap the plans was “absolutely necessary” and emphasized that FIFA must serve the game with “commitment, transparency, and integrity.”
The leadership crisis has also seen high-level departures and internal criticism. Senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned in protest of the sell-off proposals, while Kevin Lamour, FIFA’s chief operating officer, stated that staff had been “deceived” regarding the plans. External opposition is also mounting; after UEFA declared it had lost confidence in Infantino on Saturday, a growing list of national associations has withdrawn support. In a sharp rebuke on Wednesday, Jordan FA president Prince Ali bin Hussein accused Infantino of “blackmail.” Posting on X, Prince Ali stated, “We pride ourselves in Jordan in upholding ethical values. We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now. But the whole situation amounts to blackmail and we refuse to give in to that.” FIFA is aware of these comments but has declined to respond.
The Football Association is set to follow the Football Association of Wales in publicly withdrawing support for the FIFA president, while UEFA’s stance has been backed by confederations in Asia and Concacaf. Conversely, five influential African football figures, including CAF Vice President Fouzi Lekjaa, have publicly affirmed their support for Infantino. The federations of Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia have also declared continued backing. FIFA has dismissed as “pure fiction” reports that Infantino sought support from the administration of US President Donald Trump to remain in power. Additionally, other sports news includes reports that Sow is ready for a transfer to Genoa after the 2026 World Cup, and analysts are currently predicting which clubs the summer's biggest free agents will sign for. Meanwhile, the Premier League has issued a statement explaining why Tottenham were not awarded a penalty against Leeds, a decision that denied Spurs midfielder James Maddison a significant moment on his return from injury.
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