Infantino apologises for failed FIFA investment plan but keeps leadership support as criticism grows

RABAT, Morocco — FIFA President Gianni Infantino has apologised for the mistakes that led to a controversial plan to open up the governing body’s commercial competitions to private investors but will keep his job after winning the backing of FIFA’s top management.

Infantino convened a meeting of the FIFA management board at the organisation's Africa office in Rabat on Wednesday, following days of criticism of the now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. In a statement after the meeting, FIFA said its leadership “continues to back” Infantino.

UEFA had strongly criticised the proposal, saying it had lost faith in Infantino's leadership and that the project was not transparent. Critics said the plan, developed without enough consultation, risked undermining FIFA’s governance.

Infantino and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström apologised in a letter to FIFA vice-presidents, council members and all 211 member associations for what they called mistakes in handling the proposal and promised that similar errors would not be made again.

FIFA should have processed the FFE proposal differently and regrets that member associations and the FIFA Council felt left out of the discussion, FIFA said. The governing body also accepted that it had made mistakes after details of the proposal leaked to the press.

FIFA defended the integrity of its decision-making process, saying it had taken all actions in accordance with its regulatory framework despite the apology. It added that it would continue to protect its reputation against what it called attacks on its governance.

The plan would have established a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would have facilitated private investment in commercial rights associated with FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. Member associations were offered up to $40 million each if they backed the proposal before it was pulled, reports say.

Also on Wednesday, FIFA denied a report that Infantino had promised Morocco the right to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final in exchange for political support. FIFA dismissed the allegation, saying the venue of the final has not been decided yet.

Pressure persists despite internal support

FIFA’s leadership has publicly backed Infantino, but criticism from outside the organisation continues to grow.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he had lost faith in Infantino's leadership, while former Portugal international Luis Figo called for the FIFA president to resign, saying he had damaged the credibility of the office.

But Infantino seems determined to seek a fourth term as FIFA president. Candidates have until 18 November to enter the race ahead of the presidential election, which will take place during the FIFA Congress in Morocco in March 2027. The winner needs a minimum of 106 votes from FIFA’s 211 member associations.

Several European football associations, including Wales', have withdrawn their support for Infantino’s re-election campaign, with others expected to follow. UEFA has also warned it could take legal action over the handling of the investment proposal.

Divisions in football’s governing bodies

UEFA has been the loudest in its opposition to Infantino, but backing from outside Europe has been relatively steady.

The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) condemned the proposal but did not withdraw confidence in the FIFA president. Since the investment plan was dropped, other continental confederations have been more moderate.

Public backing for Infantino recently has come from several African and Asian national football associations, including Egypt, Morocco, Niger, Mauritania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Philippines.

Many of these associations have received support from FIFA’s existing FIFA Forward development programme, which offers member federations financial assistance.

Governance reforms questions

The failed investment proposal has reignited debate over governance and decision-making at FIFA.

The controversy also resulted in the resignation of Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance, Carlos Cordeiro. Other senior officials, including Secretary General Mattias Grafström, Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour, stayed on despite raising concerns internally.

Now, analysts will probably urge Infantino to strengthen oversight and governance safeguards to rebuild confidence among member associations and football stakeholders.

The controversy has highlighted divisions across world football but has not yet significantly damaged Infantino’s support across FIFA’s global membership with the presidential election less than a year away.