By Desmond Nleya
By Staff Reporter
ZURICH – FIFA has reaffirmed its confidence in President Gianni Infantino following the collapse of a controversial plan to sell a stake in the governing body’s World Cup commercial rights business, a proposal that sparked one of the biggest internal disputes in recent FIFA history.
The endorsement came after an emergency leadership meeting in Rabat, where FIFA officials sought to contain growing unrest triggered by the now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
In a statement released after the meeting, FIFA said Secretary-General Mattias Grafström and members of the organisation’s management board reaffirmed their support for Infantino, describing him as the only official directly elected by FIFA’s 211 member associations. Infantino also expressed his confidence in Grafström and FIFA’s administration.
The crisis erupted after FIFA proposed selling a 20 percent stake in a newly created commercial rights company to private investors in a deal expected to raise about US$4.2 billion. The proposal drew widespread criticism after reports indicated it involved a company linked to the family of Donald Trump, prompting concerns over governance and transparency.
FIFA admitted that mistakes had been made during the handling of the proposal and confirmed that an apology had been sent to its governing bodies and member associations. The organisation said a full review would be conducted and pledged to protect its reputation against what it described as attacks on its integrity.
The controversy exposed rare divisions within world football. UEFA publicly declared it had lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership and issued FIFA with a document preservation notice. The backlash also led to the resignation of Infantino’s senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, while FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger, reportedly distanced himself from the proposal.
According to reports, UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football considered coordinated action, including the possibility of disrupting FIFA operations or exploring alternative competitions if the governance concerns were not addressed.
Despite the opposition, several football associations, including those from Qatar and a number of African member federations, have continued to back Infantino as he prepares for a likely bid for a fourth term as FIFA president.
