RABAT, Morocco- FIFA has reaffirmed its full support for President Gianni Infantino while apologising for the controversy surrounding its now-abandoned proposal to open the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup to private investment.
The backing came after a crisis meeting of FIFA’s senior leadership in Rabat on Wednesday, days after the governing body shelved the proposal following fierce opposition from football stakeholders around the world.
In a statement issued after the meeting, FIFA acknowledged that mistakes had been made in handling the proposal and admitted that the process should have been managed differently.
“The meeting also addressed the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, where mistakes made were acknowledged,” the statement said.
“It was agreed that it was not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently.”
FIFA also conceded that further errors occurred after details of the proposal were leaked to the media.
“It was further acknowledged that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media,” the statement added.
The organisation said a separate letter had been sent to FIFA Council members and the 211 member associations apologising for the handling of the matter and committing to avoid similar mistakes in future.
Despite the controversy, FIFA’s Secretary General and members of the FIFA Management Board attending the meeting reaffirmed their confidence in Infantino.
“The meeting reaffirmed their full support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as the only official elected by the 211 FIFA Member Associations,” the statement said.
The now-withdrawn proposal sought to establish a commercial subsidiary known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to manage major tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
Under the proposal, each of FIFA’s 211 member associations would have received a one-off payment of $20 million in early 2027, while annual development funding for the 2027–2030 cycle would have increased from $8 million to $20 million.
However, the proposal triggered a widespread backlash, with critics arguing that football’s premier competition should remain under the direct control of the global governing body.
European football governing body UEFA strongly opposed the plan, describing it as a “shabby, back room, opaque deal” and threatening to boycott the World Cup if the proposal proceeded.
The North and Central American football confederation, CONCACAF, also criticised FIFA’s leadership, calling for “a comprehensive reckoning with this presidency” over what it described as poor governance.
Facing mounting pressure, Infantino withdrew the proposal last Saturday.
“Our purpose has always been — and will always be — to unite and improve,” Infantino said after announcing the decision.
FIFA confirmed that the privatisation proposal is now officially off the table and that a review will be undertaken before a report is presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting.
“As previously communicated, the FFE proposal, which would have been subject to the approval of the FIFA Member Associations and the FIFA Council, is now off the table,” the organisation said.
The controversy has cast a shadow over Infantino’s leadership despite the successful staging of the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
His prospects of securing a fourth and final term as FIFA president had appeared secure before the proposal sparked criticism from football confederations and political leaders.
On Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he no longer had confidence in Infantino’s ability to lead FIFA.
Meanwhile, Infantino attended the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations match between Zambia and Malawi in Rabat, where he was seen alongside Moroccan Football Federation President Fouzi Lekjaa, one of the few senior football officials to publicly defend the FIFA president during the controversy.
Lekjaa praised Infantino’s decision to abandon the proposal, describing it as a wise move that preserved unity within world football.
