FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström and management board members reaffirmed their support for President Gianni Infantino during a crisis meeting in Rabat, following backlash over a failed plan to sell World Cup profits through a commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). FIFA admitted "mistakes were made" and acknowledged the process "should have been handled differently," issuing an apology to the FIFA Council and member associations. The FFE proposal has been scrapped, with FIFA stating it will improve internal processes moving forward. Infantino also reaffirmed his support for Grafström, despite Grafström previously criticizing the initiative in an internal email as a "sad and reproachable series of events."
European Leagues, representing top soccer competitions including the Premier League and La Liga, condemned the FFE plan as "dangerous" and called for governance reform, asserting it raised "serious questions about FIFA's governance, internal culture and decision-making." It demanded formal stakeholder involvement in future decisions and rejected any expansion of FIFA competitions until reforms are implemented. Portugal and Real Madrid legend Luis Figo urged Infantino to step down, accusing him of having "debased the office." Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated he no longer has confidence in Infantino, citing a "fatal" governance failure due to lack of consultation. UEFA has lost confidence in FIFA's leadership and previously threatened to boycott the World Cup if the FFE plan proceeded. CONCACAF also criticized FIFA for no longer "putting football first." Arsene Wenger, FIFA's chief of global football development, distanced himself from the proposal, while senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned and COO Kevin Lamour said staff were "deceived" by the president's lack of openness. FIFA denied a report claiming Infantino offered Morocco the 2030 World Cup final as a political incentive, calling it "false and misleading."
Infantino remains in power despite senior FIFA figures publicly condemning his decision-making and staff resigning over transparency issues. The internal support announced in Rabat contrasts with visible fractures across leadership, raising questions about the stability of his administration ahead of March elections. Whether member associations will accept this reconciliation without structural accountability remains unclear.
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