Gianni Infantino received support from FIFA’s senior leadership to continue his role as president after a crisis meeting in Morocco. This came after Infantino withdrew his proposal to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors.

Infantino faced global criticism for his FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, leading to questions about his leadership. However, a statement confirmed that he retains full support from FIFA’s secretary general, Mattias Grafstrom, and the management board.

Infantino shared on Instagram that the meeting upheld support for his and Grafstrom’s positions. He stated, “We agreed that FIFA will not tolerate attacks on its integrity and will defend its reputation.”

Grafstrom, unaware of the FFE proposal, criticized it in a letter, describing it as a ‘sad and reproachable series of events’. The meeting, attended by the management board, lasted most of the day before a delegation watched a match at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

FIFA acknowledged mistakes with the FFE process, stating it was not intended to exclude the FIFA council and member associations. An apology was made, and a review will be presented at the next FIFA council meeting.

Opposition Against Infantino

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney criticized Infantino’s governance, saying the FFE plans represent a ‘fatal’ failure. Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan accused FIFA of ‘blackmail’, expressing his lack of support for Infantino.

UEFA called for Infantino to step down, withdrawing confidence in his leadership. The English FA is likely to withdraw support for his re-election.

The Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf have not yet followed UEFA’s stance but are seeking answers. Opposition to Infantino has until November 18 to present a rival candidate for the next election in March.