FIFA president Gianni Infantino has received the “full support” of senior directors on Wednesday but world football’s governing body apologised for the controversy of the now-shelved plan to open the World Cup to private investment.
Key Factors
FIFA floated the plan, saying it could raise up to $4.2 billion based on a valuation of $20 billion for a new commercial subsidiary, called the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which it proposed would run events such as the World Cup and Club World Cup. It said that, if approved, the project could provide each of FIFA’s 211 member associations with a one-off payment of $20 million in early 2027, and increase their funding allocation for the 2027-2030 cycle from $8 million to $20 million. “The FIFA President has not made any call to the U.S. President, or any members of his administration, in recent days. The backlash has intensified over Infantino’s failed plan to spin off the world football governing body’s commercial assets into a new entity backed by private investors.
In a statement Wednesday, FIFA’s leadership acknowledged “that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media”. “Our purpose has always been — and will always be — to unite and improve,” said Infantino. After Wednesday’s meeting in Rabat, the FIFA Secretary General and members of the FIFA Management Board in attendance said in a statement they “reaffirmed their full support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as the only official elected by the 211 FIFA Member Associations”. “The meeting also addressed the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, where mistakes made were acknowledged,” the statement said. It is pure fiction,” FIFA said in a statement to Reuters.
Instead of acting as a sweetener it produced a furious backlash, with European football’s governing body UEFA resorting on Thursday to the nuclear option of boycotting the sport’s jewel in the crown, the World Cup.
Evidence and Data
The New York Post also reported that Infantino had scheduled private talks with U.S. Reuters reported that five European federations — England (FA), Wales, Serbia, Sweden and Finland — have formally withdrawn earlier letters of support for Infantino’s re-election. The claims, reported by The Daily Telegraph, have emerged at a particularly difficult time for Infantino, who is already facing criticism over his recently abandoned proposal to bring private investment into FIFA’s commercial operations. UEFA, however, confirmed that a payment had been made to the woman referred to in the report.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio. However, U.S. FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing renewed scrutiny after an investigation alleged that UEFA made a severance payment to a woman who was reportedly involved in a relationship with him while he was the organisation’s general secretary. However, Infantino has strongly rejected the allegations. “FIFA president Gianni Infantino strongly denies these allegations, and they are categorically untrue. The organisation added that its rules have since been strengthened and now reflect the standards expected of a modern, high-profile institution. The plan, which reportedly involved opening a substantial stake in FIFA’s commercial arm to private investors, was eventually shelved amid significant criticism. Infantino subsequently acknowledged that mistakes had been made in the handling of the proposal, but he has remained in office.
Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson said in a post on X on Monday (August 3) that there were no plans for Rubio to speak with the 56-year-old FIFA president.
Denmark’s federation, which didn’t support him earlier too, said it was never going to back him in any case. The Football Association of Wales, which broke first, cited “recent failures in good governance, processes, leadership, values, stakeholder management, communications and sound judgement”. The English FA, in a statement, called for “a full and robust review of Fifa’s leadership and governance”. Sweden’s federation cited “recurring shortcomings in governance, transparency and management”. A spokesperson for the FIFA president told The Telegraph that the claims were “categorically untrue” and denied any suggestion of inappropriate conduct or a breach of regulations. Any insinuation of inappropriate conduct or violation of statutes or regulations is defamatory,” a FIFA spokesman told the Telegraph. The European governing body said the payment was connected to her departure from the organisation and included costs associated with completing an MBA programme at a local business school. The payment complied with the regulations that were in place at the time, according to UEFA.
Outlook
The latest allegations come as Infantino attempts to navigate an increasingly turbulent period at the top of world football. His proposal to establish a major commercial entity involving private investment in FIFA’s competitions triggered opposition from several football bodies and raised questions about the organisation’s future direction.
