FIFA President Gianni Infantino held emergency talks with senior officials in Morocco on Wednesday as pressure mounted over his abandoned proposal to open the World Cup to private investment.
Gatekeepers News reports that a source told AFP that the meeting came amid growing criticism of Infantino’s leadership following last week’s withdrawal of the controversial plan, which had sparked widespread opposition from football governing bodies and prompted renewed calls for his resignation.
Among those believed to have attended the meeting was FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom, whose internal email criticising the proposal was leaked on Tuesday.
Infantino, 56, held the discussions at FIFA’s Africa regional office in Sale, near Rabat, where he had travelled for Morocco’s Feast of the Enthronement celebrations.
Morocco, which will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, has remained one of the few supporters of the FIFA president during the controversy. Moroccan football chief Fouzi Lekjaa praised Infantino’s decision to withdraw the proposal, describing it as a “wise” move made in the interest of “unity and cohesion.”
Lekjaa also reaffirmed his support for Infantino and “all the initiatives aimed at the development of world football” during the FIFA president’s decade in office.
Until last week, Infantino appeared well-positioned to secure a fourth and final term at FIFA’s congress in Rabat next March, with no challenger emerging after the successful staging of the expanded 48-team World Cup co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
However, his position came under intense scrutiny after FIFA unveiled plans to establish a commercial subsidiary, the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to manage competitions including the World Cup and Club World Cup.
The governing body said the proposed venture could raise up to $4.2 billion, based on a valuation of $20 billion, and would enable each of FIFA’s 211 member associations to receive a one-off payment of $20 million in early 2027. It also proposed increasing member funding for the 2027–2030 cycle from $8 million to $20 million.
Instead of winning support, the proposal triggered fierce opposition across world football.
UEFA, European football’s governing body, threatened to boycott the World Cup if the plan proceeded, forcing Infantino to abandon the proposal on Saturday.
“Our purpose has always been — and will always be — to unite and improve,” Infantino said after announcing the withdrawal.
The decision, however, did little to ease criticism.
UEFA described the proposal as a “shabby, back room, opaque deal” orchestrated by Infantino.
“The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family,” UEFA said in a statement.
CONCACAF, which governs football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, called for “a comprehensive reckoning with this presidency” while condemning Infantino’s “poor governance and leadership.”
The controversy deepened after Grafstrom’s leaked email described the failed proposal as “a sad and reproachable series of events.”
He added: “Individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go. The institution, its mission and its responsibility towards world football continue.”
