FIFA President Gianni Infantino has convened an emergency meeting of the organisation’s senior leadership in Rabat, Morocco, as mounting criticism continues over FIFA’s abandoned proposal to bring private investment into a company set up to manage its tournaments.
The meeting includes FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström and members of the governing body’s management board. It comes amid increasing scrutiny of the now-scrapped FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project, which had proposed selling a 20 per cent stake in the company to private investors.
Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, distanced himself from the proposal, saying he had no involvement in the plans. He also backed FIFA’s decision to abandon the project, describing the move as “absolutely necessary and beyond question.”
Wenger reiterated his support for an independent governing body, saying FIFA should continue to serve world football with “commitment, transparency and integrity.”
The proposed investment plan sparked widespread opposition from several football confederations, including UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Reports suggested UEFA even considered boycotting FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, if the proposal proceeded.
Although FIFA ultimately withdrew the proposal, the controversy has continued to fuel criticism of Infantino’s leadership.
UEFA has reportedly said it has lost confidence in the FIFA president, while several national football associations, including those of England and Wales, have withdrawn their support. The Scottish Football Association is also understood to share UEFA’s position.
According to reports, members of the FIFA Council are attempting to secure enough support to formally request a meeting to examine Infantino’s handling of both the FFE proposal and the Folarin Balogun case. If they fail to obtain sufficient backing, opponents are reportedly considering a broader governance boycott that could hinder FIFA’s operations.
In a message to FIFA employees, Secretary General Mattias Grafström acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the organisation, describing recent events as a “sad and reproachable series of events” while welcoming the permanent abandonment of the investment project.
He assured staff that FIFA would continue to protect its employees from the political tensions surrounding the organisation, adding that its mission to serve world football remained unchanged.
The latest developments follow the resignation of Infantino’s senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro.
Despite growing criticism from Europe, Infantino is still believed to enjoy significant backing from football associations in Africa, South America, and Oceania, while the stance of several Asian member associations could prove decisive.
Some Asian federations, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, and Lebanon, have publicly expressed support for the FIFA president.
However, Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein has accused FIFA of attempting to influence his vote by linking financial payments to his support for Infantino—an allegation FIFA has acknowledged but has not publicly addressed.
Meanwhile, UEFA is reportedly considering legal action over the abandoned investment proposal and has instructed its legal team to preserve all documents related to the project as the dispute continues.