KIGALI – FIFA President Gianni Infantino has apologized for mistakes surrounding a controversial proposal to open FIFA’s competitions to private investors, but has retained the full support of the organization’s leadership following a high-level meeting in Morocco.
Infantino convened a meeting of the FIFA Council on Wednesday at FIFA’s African office in Rabat, amid mounting criticism over the now-stalled investment initiative.
After more than four hours of deliberations, FIFA issued a statement reaffirming its confidence in Infantino’s leadership.
The backing comes despite growing opposition from the Union of European Football Associations, which last week said it had lost confidence in the FIFA president. UEFA described the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project as “a shameful deal” negotiated in secrecy and without sufficient transparency.
The controversy has also sparked criticism from within FIFA itself.
In a letter sent to FIFA staff on Tuesday, Secretary General Mattias Grafström described the events surrounding the proposal as “a series of regrettable actions that deserve condemnation.”
However, following Wednesday’s meeting, Grafström joined the FIFA Council in publicly expressing full support for Infantino.
The two leaders also signed a joint letter addressed to FIFA’s vice presidents, Council members, and its 211 member associations, offering what they described as a “sincere apology” for the handling of the initiative and pledging that similar mistakes would not happen again.
Later in the day, Infantino and Grafström were seen together attending a match at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Rabat.
According to reports, Infantino had proposed creating a new entity, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to attract private investment into FIFA’s flagship tournaments, including the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups.
The proposal reportedly included an offer of $40 million for each member association that supported the initiative.
FIFA acknowledged that mistakes had been made in the way the proposal was presented, admitting that member associations and FIFA Council members may have felt excluded from the decision-making process.
The governing body also recognized that the plan should have been handled more transparently, particularly after details of the proposal were leaked to the media.
The British newspaper The Times first reported on the investment plan on July 28.
FIFA also dismissed reports alleging that Infantino had promised Morocco the right to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final in exchange for political support.
The organization described those claims as “false and misleading,” insisting that the decision on the final’s venue would be made through the appropriate process at the proper time.
The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal.
Although Wednesday’s meeting appears to have eased immediate pressure on Infantino, criticism from prominent figures continues.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has publicly said he no longer has confidence in the FIFA president.
Former Portugal international Luís Figo, who briefly contested the FIFA presidency in 2015 before withdrawing his candidacy, has also called on Infantino to resign.
Despite the criticism, the 56-year-old FIFA president is widely expected to seek a fourth term in office.
Prospective candidates have until November 18, 2026, to submit their nominations, while the presidential election will take place during the FIFA Congress in Morocco in March 2027.
To be elected, a candidate must secure at least 106 votes from FIFA’s 211 member associations.
KIGALI TIMES