FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called an emergency meeting of senior FIFA officials in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday amid intensifying pressure over the collapse of his controversial plan to open the World Cup and other major tournaments to private investment.
The high-stakes gathering at FIFA’s Africa office brings together Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom and members of the organisation’s management board, including key figures responsible for legal affairs, member associations, finance, media and communications. The meeting was convened as Infantino faces the most serious challenge to his leadership since taking office in 2016.
The crisis stems from FIFA’s now-abandoned proposal to create a commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, and sell a minority stake to private investors. The plan, which aimed to raise approximately $4.2 billion based on a $20 billion valuation of the entity that would oversee competitions including the World Cup, triggered widespread opposition from UEFA, other confederations, national associations and senior FIFA executives.
UEFA has declared it has “lost confidence” in Infantino’s leadership and is actively considering legal action, while ordering the preservation of documents related to the scrapped scheme. Several European football associations have withdrawn or are preparing to withdraw their support for Infantino’s re-election. Internally, Grafstrom described the episode as a “sad and reproachable series of events,” Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global football development, stated he was “not involved” and that withdrawing the plan was “absolutely necessary,” and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour said staff had been “deceived.” Senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned in opposition to the proposal.
Accusations of pressure tactics, including claims of “blackmail” from the Jordan FA president, and reports of efforts by FIFA Council members to secure the votes needed for a formal accountability meeting or a governance boycott have further escalated tensions.
Infantino, who has spent recent days in Morocco a co-host of the 2030 World Cup and one of the few associations publicly backing him is seeking to stabilise the organisation and secure his position ahead of next year’s FIFA Congress. Supporters in parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East have continued to express confidence in his leadership, while critics argue the episode has exposed deeper issues of governance and transparency within world football’s governing body.
The outcome of Wednesday’s emergency talks is expected to shape the immediate future of FIFA’s leadership and the sport’s global governance structure.