FIFA President Gianni Infantino has received strong backing from senior directors following a crisis meeting in Morocco, where the organization also issued an apology for the controversial plan to privatize the World Cup. The proposal, which has since been shelved, faced significant backlash, prompting FIFA to acknowledge "errors" in its handling.

Support Amid Controversy

Infantino has been under increasing scrutiny, even from within FIFA, as calls for his resignation grew after the plan was abandoned last Saturday. In a statement released on Wednesday, FIFA's leadership expressed their continued support for Infantino, emphasizing that he is the only official elected by the 211 FIFA Member Associations.

Details of the Proposal

The privatization plan aimed to establish a new commercial subsidiary, the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which was projected to generate up to $4.2 billion. If approved, the initiative would have provided each of FIFA's 211 member associations with a one-time payment of $20 million in early 2027 and increased their funding allocation for the 2027-2030 cycle from $8 million to $20 million. However, the proposal sparked outrage, particularly from UEFA, which threatened to boycott the World Cup.

Acknowledgment of Mistakes

During the meeting in Rabat, FIFA officials recognized that the process surrounding the FFE proposal was flawed and that the FIFA Council and member associations should not have felt excluded. They also admitted that errors occurred after the proposal was leaked to the media. An apology was issued to the FIFA Council and member associations, along with a commitment to prevent similar issues in the future. FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom, who had previously criticized the plan in a leaked internal email, is expected to oversee a review of the situation, with findings to be presented at the next FIFA Council meeting.