In brief
A meeting in Morocco saw FIFA’s senior executives endorse President Gianni Infantino’s controversial private‑investment proposal after the organisation admitted errors in the process. Despite criticism from UEFA and internal staff, Infantino stayed in power, with FIFA promising a review and apologies. The incident underscores growing pressure on FIFA’s governance and transparency ahead of the 2030 World Cup.
FIFA’s senior leadership has confirmed that Gianni Infantino will remain president, despite mounting pressure from both within the organisation and from UEFA.
On Wednesday, Infantino convened a meeting in Rabat where the board debated his aborted attempt to bring private investors into FIFA’s flagship tournaments. The proposal – called the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) – had previously run into dispute for being too opaque and lacking consultation with member associations.
Following the meeting, FIFA issued a statement admitting that mistakes had been made during the development of the FFE scheme. The governing body said it had not intended to exclude clubs and national associations from the process and pledged that the leaks which reached the Times would not happen again.
While some insiders, including Secretary‑General Mattias Grofstrom, described the situation as a “sad and reproachable series of events”, the board’s endorsement came at a time when UEFA had already expressed loss of confidence in Infantino, citing the plan as “shabby” and “back‑room”.
Infantino offered about $40 million to the 211 FIFA member associations if they supported the private‑investment route, a figure roughly equal to £30 million. The offer, and the subsequent fallout, have sparked calls for a full review of FIFA’s governance model.
FIFA has also denied a claim that Infantino had promised Morocco a 2030 World Cup final in exchange for its backing, describing the story as “false and misleading”. The final host for the 2030 edition – which will span Spain and Portugal – will be decided later.
Sources: BBC Sport, 29 August 2026.
