Key facts
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino is holding a crisis meeting in Morocco.
- The meeting follows the collapse of a proposed sale of 20% of World Cup commercial rights for $4.2 billion.
- Critics, including UEFA, have accused Infantino of poor governance and a lack of confidence in his leadership.
- Internal FIFA memos suggest staff felt deceived by the abandoned project.
- Several confederations and member associations are reportedly seeking to remove Infantino before his re-election in March.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is set to hold a crisis meeting in Morocco on Wednesday following significant backlash over a proposed plan to sell 20% of the World Cup's commercial rights for $4.2 billion. The proposal, which involved a company with links to Donald Trump's family, was met with widespread criticism, including from UEFA, which accused Infantino of compromising the integrity of the sport and losing confidence in his leadership.
Infantino's backdown on Friday has done little to quell the dissent. FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom described the events leading to the project's abandonment as 'sad and reproachable' in an internal memo, while Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour stated staff felt 'deceived' by the plan, calling it 'the project of one person'. Infantino's senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned in protest, and former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, distanced himself from the proposal, calling its withdrawal 'absolutely necessary'.
The fallout has cast a shadow over Infantino's bid for a fourth term as FIFA president in March. Reports suggest that UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC are determined to remove him by paralyzing FIFA or even initiating their own competitions. While some European federations have withdrawn support, Infantino is reportedly seeking backing from FIFA's 54 African members and has received declarations of loyalty from countries like Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. Prince Ali bin Hussein, who has previously challenged for the FIFA presidency, accused FIFA of 'blackmail' for allegedly offering assistance in exchange for endorsements of Infantino.
The meeting in Morocco, a co-host of the 2030 World Cup, is expected to focus on Infantino's survival until the election. An Extraordinary Congress could be called if 43 member associations formally request it. The voting power of all 211 member associations is equal, regardless of their footballing stature.