FIFA President Gianni Infantino met with Secretary General Mattias Grafström and several members of the governing body’s leadership on Wednesday at FIFA’s headquarters in Rabat, following the withdrawal of a proposal to open part of FIFA’s commercial activities to private investors. The organization later described the meeting as “positive and constructive.”
The discussions focused on the need to improve internal processes following the withdrawal of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project, FIFA said in a statement, adding that it “will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity and will take all necessary measures to protect its reputation.”
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The meeting also provided an opportunity to acknowledge that mistakes had been made in relation to the FFE proposal.
“It was agreed that there had never been any intention to exclude the FIFA Council or FIFA member associations from the process and that matters should have been handled differently,” the statement said. “It was also acknowledged that mistakes were made after the proposal was disclosed in the media.”
FIFA said a separate letter had been sent to the FIFA Council and all 211 member associations, apologizing for those mistakes and assuring them they would not happen again. The governing body added that the matter would be reviewed and that a report would be presented to the FIFA Council at its next meeting.
FIFA also reiterated that the proposal would, in any case, have required the approval of both the FIFA Council and its member associations before it could be implemented. However, it confirmed that the project is no longer under consideration following its withdrawal.
“It is understood that FIFA will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance or compliance with its procedures, and will take all necessary measures to protect and preserve its name and reputation,” the statement said.
“Every situation provides valuable lessons, and FIFA intends to use the current one to further improve its processes. It is important to stress, however, that although mistakes were made, all actions undertaken complied fully with FIFA’s regulatory framework,” it added.
The governing body also said it would continue working closely with stakeholders to identify ways to further support football development through the FIFA Forward program for the benefit of FIFA’s 211 member associations, the continental confederations and regional associations.
Following the meeting, Grafström and several members of FIFA’s leadership reaffirmed their “full support” for Infantino, describing him as “the only leader elected by FIFA’s 211 member associations.”
Infantino, for his part, reiterated his “full support” for the secretary general and the FIFA administration, thanking them for their “essential and remarkable efforts” in delivering his vision for the organization.
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The participants also agreed that the processes, communication and interactions between Infantino, Grafström and FIFA’s leadership responsible for implementing that vision “could and should be continuously improved” to enhance both efficiency and effectiveness.
“In this regard, FIFA’s leadership is fully convinced that the conclusions of today’s meeting will strengthen FIFA’s governance, help restore confidence in the organization and ensure that future major events and challenges are addressed in a spirit of unity and transparency, while remaining focused on FIFA’s mission of developing football worldwide,” the statement added.
Last Tuesday, Infantino announced plans to create FIFA Forward Enterprise, an external company that would manage FIFA’s commercial activities and competitions, including the World Cup, with the participation of private investors. The proposal drew criticism and prompted UEFA to threaten a boycott of FIFA competitions before it was withdrawn the following Friday.
Infantino is currently the only declared candidate seeking another term as FIFA president in the election scheduled to take place in Rabat in March 2027.
