FIFA leadership reaffirms support for Infantino following abandoned commercial deal

FIFA leadership met in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday to reaffirm support for President Gianni Infantino following an internal crisis triggered by a failed proposal to sell 20% of the organization's commercial rights. The $4.2 billion deal, which would have granted private investors a significant stake in World Cup-related revenues, faced severe backlash from national federations that felt sidelined by the administration. The proposal was formally withdrawn last Friday, marking the most significant revolt against Infantino during his tenure and raising questions regarding his upcoming re-election bid in March 2027.

In response to the unrest, FIFA issued an apology to its 211 member associations, admitting the project should have been handled with greater transparency. Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom described the situation as a "reproachable series of events" in an internal memo to staff. The governing body has pledged to conduct a thorough review of its decision-making processes, with a formal report expected to be presented to the FIFA Council at its next meeting. Despite the internal reconciliation, analysts suggest that the incident will lead to sustained scrutiny of FIFA's governance and reform efforts leading up to the presidential election.