Morocco: FIFA apologizes after its private investment project and reaffirms its support for Infantino.

The closed-door meeting took place at FIFA’s African headquarters in Morocco. In a statement released at the end of the discussions, the organization admitted that the proposal had been handled inappropriately following its revelation in the press.

“Apologies have been made for these errors, along with a commitment to ensure that they do not happen again,” FIFA stated. It also assured that there had never been any intention to exclude the Council of the body or its 211 member associations from the decision-making process.

However, the international federation defended the legality of the approach. “Everything that has been done was done in strict compliance with FIFA’s regulatory framework,” it claimed, as several leaders and confederations had denounced a lack of transparency in the management of the project.

A renewed support for the president

The members of the executive council present at the meeting reaffirmed their support for Gianni Infantino, presented as the only official elected by all FIFA member associations. This statement comes after several days of criticisms aimed directly at the Italian-Swiss president and his entourage.

FIFA also promised to defend its integrity and internal procedures. “FIFA will no longer tolerate any infringement of its integrity, good governance, and respect for proper procedures,” it declared, following the abandonment of the private investment project.

Gianni Infantino, for his part, renewed his confidence in Secretary General Mattias Grafström and the organization’s administration. In a letter to staff consulted by AFP, Mr. Grafström had referred to a “series of sad and condemnable events.”

The FIFA president attended a match between Zambia and Malawi on Wednesday night in Rabat, held as part of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. At the head of the organization since February 2016, he is regularly accused of multiplying controversial projects.

The abandoned private investor project

The previous week, FIFA announced the proposed creation of an external company called FIFA Forward Enterprise. This structure was to manage certain commercial activities of the organization as well as major competitions, including the World Cups, with the participation of private investors.

Unveiled on July 28 after being revealed by several media outlets, the project quickly encountered opposition from many football stakeholders. It was ultimately withdrawn during the night of July 31 to August 1, under pressure from several confederations, including UEFA.

High-ranking officials distanced themselves from Gianni Infantino. Arsène Wenger, director of global football development at FIFA, expressed criticism, while Carlos Cordeiro, a senior advisor to the president, resigned in outright opposition to the project.

UEFA threatened to take a harder stance, even mentioning a possible boycott of the World Cups. The European confederation later stated that it had “lost confidence” in Gianni Infantino, while CONCACAF called for a complete reassessment of its governance.

A succession under pressure

Criticism also spread to the political arena. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated on Wednesday that he had “no confidence” in Gianni Infantino after the crisis surrounding the private project, believing that good governance could not rely on sidelining the closest advisors.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had also judged a few days earlier that Gianni Infantino was “the wrong person to lead” FIFA. These statements add to the challenges coming from the football world and further weaken the president as the next election approaches.

Gianni Infantino, 56, is currently the only declared candidate for his own succession. The election is set to take place in March 2027 in Rabat, where he will need to secure the majority of the 211 member federations to win a new four-year term.

Several federations have already officially withdrawn their support for the FIFA president, including Finland, Wales, Serbia, and Sweden. Despite these defections, the international body expressed its unity around Gianni Infantino at the end of its crisis meeting in Morocco.