FIFA leadership reiterated its full support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino during an emergency meeting held on Wednesday, Aug. 5, in Rabat, Morocco, FIFA announced. The meeting was attended by Infantino, FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström, and members of the federation's executive team.
According to the official announcement, attendees reaffirmed their confidence in Infantino, emphasizing that he is the only official directly elected by FIFA's 211 member national associations. Infantino also expressed his support for the secretary general and the management team.
Commercial Plan Collapse
The meeting followed the collapse of the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, an approximately $20 billion proposal involving private investors to manage commercial rights for FIFA competitions. Infantino withdrew the project after confederations and national associations accused leadership of acting without consultation, admitting it had caused division in global football.
Governance Crisis and Reforms
Abandoning the plan failed to end the crisis. UEFA announced it no longer has confidence in Infantino and demanded a meaningful overhaul of FIFA governance, a stance supported by several national associations, including the English and Welsh federations. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also said he no longer has confidence in the FIFA president.
FIFA stated that meeting attendees agreed to improve processes, communication, and cooperation among the presidency, general secretariat, and executive team to boost efficiency and prevent future crises.
