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Associated Press

Fifa apologised for errors made over Gianni Infantino’s failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, and said that senior staff in attendance at a crisis meeting in Morocco on Wednesday “reaffirmed their full support” for his presidency.
Football’s world governing body attempted to present a unified front amid the turbulence caused by Infantino’s controversial plans, with calls for him to step down.
In a statement, Fifa said Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom and members of the management board in Rabat had given their support to the embattled president.
Referring to the plans to sell profits in the World Cup through a commercial subsidiary called Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), the statement said “mistakes made were acknowledged” and that the “process should have been handled differently.”
Fifa said a letter had been sent to Fifa Council and member associations apologising for errors and committed to “ensure they do not happen again”.

Grafström’s stated support was notable after he distanced himself from Infantino’s now abandoned plans in an email to all Fifa staff calling the last week a “sad and reproachable series of events.”
Fifa said Infantino had also reaffirmed his support for his secretary general.
World soccer’s governing body said the FFE proposal was “now off the table.”
“There are always lessons to be learned, and Fifa will continue to improve its processes in light of this experience,” it said.
It remains to be seen if the meeting will ease the pressure on Infantino.
Earlier, the association of European soccer leagues – including the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A – called for governance reform of Fifa. It described the FFE proposal as “dangerous” and said it pointed to deeper concerns about how the governing body operates.
It said it raised “serious questions about Fifa’s governance, internal culture and decision-making”.
“Now more than ever, Fifa requires governance reform that ensures that all relevant stakeholders have a formal role in decisions that shape the future of our game,” it said.
In the statement, European Leagues hit out at the possibility of further expanding the World Cup to 64 teams and said “Fifa must not be allowed to continue taking unilaterally disruptive decisions”.
It said that until there was reform it would reject the “expansion or creation” of Fifa competitions.
Portugal and Real Madrid great Luis Figo also called for Infantino to step down, saying he had “debased the office”.
Fifa denied a British media report suggesting Infantino, in seeking support for his presidency, had offered Morocco the hosting of the final at the 2030 World Cup. Spain, Portugal and Morocco are the main co-hosts for the 2030 edition.
Morocco hopes to host the final at the planned 115,000-seat King Hassan II Stadium near Casablanca; Spain has at least two contenders – the home stadiums of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
A Fifa spokesperson said it’s “false and misleading to claim the Fifa president has made any promise in relation to hosting the Fifa World Cup 2030 final. A decision will be made by Fifa in due course”.


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Fifa

Fifa bosses back Infantino to stay as president, apologise for World Cup sell-off plan

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has lived to fight another day after emerging from a crisis meeting in Morocco with the full support of the organisation’s leadership. Photo: AP

Mattias Grafstrom, the Fifa secretary general, leaves the governing body’s office in Rabat. Photo: Reuters

Embattled Fifa chief Gianni Infantino holds emergency talks in Morocco with top officials

Fifa president Gianni Infantino (left) with secretary general Mattias Grafstrom at Fifa’s 75th Congress in Luque, Paraguay last year. Photo: AP

A car believed to be carrying Gianni Infantino arriving at Fifa’s Africa office in Sale on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Gianni Infantino (right) with top Fifa official Arsene Wenger at a Women’s Euro 2025 match last year. Photo: AP

Uefa threatens Fifa with legal action over World Cup plan, Infantino sought Trump’s backing

Uefa, headed by Aleksander Ceferin (left), has threatened legal action over Fifa counterpart Gianni Infantino's controversial World Cup plan. Photo: Photo: dpa

Fifa president Gianni Infantino is due to stand for re-election in March next year for the 2027–2031 term. Photo: AFP

Sport

Football

Games’ world governing body releases a statement in which senior staff reaffirm “their full support” for under-fire head Gianni Infantino


Games’ world governing body releases a statement in which senior staff reaffirm “their full support” for under-fire head Gianni Infantino.


Fifa bosses back Infantino to stay as president, apologise for World Cup sell-off plan

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Games’ world governing body releases a statement in which senior staff reaffirm “their full support” for under-fire head Gianni Infantino

Games’ world governing body releases a statement in which senior staff reaffirm “their full support” for under-fire head Gianni Infantino