Although the proposal was ultimately withdrawn, criticism of Infantino continued to intensify. In response, he convened an emergency meeting with FIFA's Executive Board. Four hours after Wednesday's meeting at FIFA's African headquarters in Rabat, Morocco, the organization released an official statement reaffirming its confidence in the FIFA president.
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström and the Executive Board members who attended the meeting declared:
"As the only official elected by the votes of FIFA's 211 member associations, President Gianni Infantino continues to enjoy our full confidence and support."
Pressure had been mounting on Infantino from within FIFA over the way the proposal was handled. After the plan was officially abandoned last Saturday, calls for his resignation grew even louder.
Grafström, who attended the Rabat meeting, had earlier described the episode in an internal memo sent to FIFA staff on Tuesday as "a regrettable and condemnable sequence of events." However, following the meeting, both Grafström and the Executive Board publicly reaffirmed their support for Infantino's leadership.
According to the BBC, Infantino and Grafström jointly sent a signed letter to FIFA's vice presidents, Council members, and all 211 member associations. In the letter, they offered a "sincere apology" for the mistakes made and pledged that "such an incident will not happen again."
After the meeting, Infantino and Grafström attended a Women's Africa Cup of Nations match in Rabat alongside Moroccan Football Federation President Fouzi Lekjaa. Lekjaa has been one of the few senior football officials who consistently stood by Infantino throughout the controversy. He praised the decision to withdraw the proposal as "a wise one" and reiterated his support for Infantino's decade-long contribution to the development of world football.
The Controversial Investment Proposal
Infantino had proposed creating a new subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to attract private investment into FIFA competitions. Under the proposal, each FIFA member association would have received an incentive payment of $40 million.
However, once details of the plan became public, it faced widespread criticism across the football world.
UEFA and CONCACAF issued strongly worded statements opposing the proposal, while the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also voiced its support for the critics. Meanwhile, all 55 UEFA member associations announced their intention to boycott the FIFA World Cup if the proposal moved forward.
FIFA acknowledged after Wednesday's meeting that mistakes had been made in handling the FFE proposal. The organization said it had never intended to exclude the FIFA Council or member associations from the decision-making process and admitted that "the matter should have been handled differently."
The governing body also accepted responsibility for mistakes made after details of the proposal were leaked to the media. British newspaper The Times first revealed the secret investment plan on July 28.
In its statement, FIFA emphasized that it would "no longer tolerate attacks on its reputation, governance, or regulations" and would take all necessary measures to protect the organization's integrity.
The governing body also rejected reports published by The Times claiming Morocco had been promised the right to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final in exchange for supporting the proposal. FIFA described the report as "false and misleading," reiterating that the venue for the 2030 World Cup final—co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco—will be decided "at the appropriate time."
Will the Apology End the Crisis?
Infantino is undoubtedly hoping that his public apology will help bring an end to what has become the biggest controversy of his decade-long presidency. Yet despite retaining the backing of FIFA's senior leadership, criticism continues to grow.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has publicly stated that he has "no confidence" in Infantino. Former Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Portugal winger Luís Figo has also called for the FIFA president's immediate resignation.
"The office that Infantino promised to elevate has instead been diminished," Figo said. "The time to save his reputation has passed, but there is still time to save football."
Despite the mounting criticism, the 56-year-old Infantino is widely expected to seek a fourth term as FIFA president.
The next FIFA presidential election is scheduled to take place during the FIFA Congress in Morocco in March 2027. Potential challengers have until November 18 to submit their nominations. To win the election, a candidate must secure at least 106 votes from FIFA's 211 member associations.
UEFA Remains Unconvinced
UEFA continues to take a very different stance. The European governing body has previously declared that it has no confidence in Infantino's leadership and has even threatened legal action against FIFA.
Several UEFA member associations, including Wales, have withdrawn their previous support for Infantino's re-election campaign.
FIFA, however, maintains that while mistakes were made, every action taken remained within the framework of the organization's existing regulations. It expressed confidence that the decisions reached during the Rabat meeting would strengthen FIFA's governance and help restore trust in the organization.
Nevertheless, many observers remain skeptical that FIFA's official apology alone will be enough to ease UEFA's concerns or bring the controversy to a close.
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