Overview
FIFA President Gianni Infantino assembled top officials in Morocco on Wednesday for a crisis meeting aimed at containing the political damage after the collapse of his proposal to sell a stake in a new commercial rights entity tied to the World Cup. The proposal - which envisaged selling 20% of the body to private investors to raise $4.2 billion - drew a torrent of criticism when first presented to FIFA’s 211 member associations. Critics flagged numerous problems with the plan, among them the involvement of a company with family links to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Internal reaction and resignations
The decision to withdraw the plan last Friday has not quelled the uproar. UEFA, Europe’s governing body for soccer, accused Infantino of attempting to "sell the soul of the game" and said it no longer has confidence in his leadership. Several European federations have publicly withdrawn their support.
Messages from within FIFA have been equally stark. Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom reportedly sent an internal memo to staff lamenting the "sad and reproachable series of events" that led to the project being "permanently abandoned", according to sources familiar with the communication. Grafstrom’s letter included the line: "Individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go. The institution, its mission and its responsibility towards world football continue ..." The memo did not mention Infantino by name.
FIFA’s Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour said last week that staff had been "deceived" over the plan, which he described as the project of one person. In a high-profile protest, Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned. Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s chief of Global Football Development, said he had not been involved in drafting the proposal and called the decision to withdraw it "absolutely necessary".
Former Portugal international Luis Figo, who had previously planned a run for the presidency in 2015 before withdrawing, strongly criticized Infantino’s conduct, describing it as the "lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested" he had ever seen and arguing that "Infantino must go" in a column.
Political implications and the path to March
The controversy has cast a long shadow over Infantino’s prospects for re-election to a fourth term at the FIFA Congress scheduled in Morocco in March. What until recently appeared a near-certainty has become more uncertain as a number of federations withdraw their backing and criticism mounts from influential quarters within the sport.
The immediate objective of Wednesday’s meeting at FIFA’s Africa office in Sale - on the Bou Regreg river opposite Rabat - is widely expected to be pragmatic: to ensure Infantino endures politically for the seven months that remain before the election. An Extraordinary Congress can be triggered if 43 or more FIFA member associations submit a formal written request for one, creating a potential mechanism for a more immediate challenge.
Geography of support
Infantino retains pronounced backing beyond Europe, particularly among less wealthy federations that depend on FIFA funding. Morocco - which will co-host the World Cup in 2030 - and its football association have affirmed their continued support for him. Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Philippines have also publicly declared their loyalty.
The Philippine Football Federation stated that, despite FIFA withdrawing the FFE proposal, it "continues to support the goal behind it, championed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino: expanding commercial and financial assistance to all 211 Member Associations, especially smaller markets like the Philippines."
Leading African football administrators have sent supportive messages as Infantino seeks backing from the continent’s 54 members. The African confederation (CAF) has not taken a formal stance. In Oceania, the executive committee of the smallest regional confederation planned to meet next Wednesday to decide its position, with New Zealand Football chief Andrew Pragnell noting the importance of coordinated action within a confederation.
Pushback from clubs and leagues
European Leagues, representing more than 1,300 clubs across the continent, warned that FIFA must not be permitted to "continue taking unilaterally disruptive decisions" that affect clubs, players and fans. The organization called for governance reform that would provide all relevant stakeholders with a formal role in decisions shaping the future of the game. It also criticized the "impractically short assessment timeline" of four weeks that FIFA provided to evaluate a proposal to expand the World Cup from 48 to 64 teams for the 2030 edition.
Voting arithmetic and potential challengers
Under FIFA rules every member association’s vote carries the same weight, so smaller associations hold the same formal voting power as long-established football powers. That parity is a structural advantage for Infantino, who has cultivated strong ties with many associations outside football’s traditional power bases. Another practical advantage for him is the current absence of a clearly declared opponent for the March election.
Prince Ali bin Hussein, president of the Jordan Football Association and a two-time presidential candidate, accused FIFA of attempting to use "blackmail" by offering to address federation problems in exchange for endorsements of Infantino. He wrote on social media: "We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now."
Unresolved questions
FIFA was contacted for comment on the allegations surrounding the commercial rights proposal. Beyond the immediate interventions and public statements, the situation leaves many unresolved internal governance questions and electoral uncertainties that will play out in the coming months.
For now, Infantino’s immediate challenge is political: to repair relationships across FIFA’s broad membership and to secure the minimum stability needed to reach March’s Congress. How member associations and regional confederations respond between now and then will determine whether the governing body moves quickly to an Extraordinary Congress or whether the March election proceeds with Infantino as the likely incumbent candidate.