In brief
Fifa announced that its president Gianni Infantino will remain in place as the governing body’s board backed his leadership in Rabat, even as accusations from UEFA and insiders have put his tenure in question. The controversy stemmed from Infantino’s aborted attempt to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors via a new subsidiary, FFE, an effort that was widely criticized as opaque and improperly managed. FIFA publicly acknowledged mistakes—both in process and in leaking the proposal to media—and pledged a review of its governance procedures. Despite these admissions, the board reaffirmed full support for Infantino and vowed to protect the organization’s reputation from continued criticism. FIFA also denied claims that it offered Morocco a 2030 World Cup final in exchange for support.
Gianni Infantino will remain as FIFA president after a meeting of senior executives in Morocco confirmed his leadership, even as the governing body has admitted mistakes in its recent private‑investment plans.
Wednesday’s emergency gathering in Rabat came after a flurry of criticism over Infantino’s aborted attempt to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors through a new subsidiary, the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE). Hours after the meeting ended, FIFA issued a statement of support for the president.
European football’s governing body, UEFA, had already lost confidence in Infantino, calling the FFE proposal a "shabby, back‑room, opaque deal." The controversy has been echoed by FIFA insiders, including secretary‑general Mattias Grofstrom, who described the situation as "a sad and reproachable series of events." In a subsequent memo, Grofstrom and the management board reiterated their full support for Infantino.
Under the proposal, Infantino offered FIFA’s 211 member associations a $40 million (approx. £30 million) payout if they backed the private‑investment plan for its tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, via FFE.
FIFA admitted that mistakes were made regarding the FFE initiative, stating that it had not intended for the FIFA Council or member associations to feel excluded from the process and that the proposal should have been handled differently. The organization also acknowledged that errors arose after the plan was leaked to the media—an incident first reported by the Times on 28 July.
In its statement, FIFA apologized to the council and member associations and pledged to review its procedures. It also warned that it would no longer tolerate attacks on its integrity, good governance, and due process, and would take necessary measures to protect its reputation.
FIFA has denied a story in the Times that Infantino promised Morocco it would host the 2030 World Cup final in exchange for its support, calling the claim "false and misleading" and saying the decision on the final’s location will be made in due course.
