Gianni Infantino’s leadership is facing mounting scrutiny after his controversial plan to introduce private investment into FIFA competitions collapsed, with criticism now coming from both inside and outside world football’s governing body.
Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, now FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, backed the decision to scrap the proposal, calling the withdrawal “absolutely necessary and beyond question.”
Adding to the pressure, FIFA secretary-general Mattias Grafstrom reportedly distanced himself from the failed initiative in an internal email, describing the episode as “a sad and reproachable series of events” while stressing that FIFA’s mission must remain bigger than any individual.
The FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, unveiled last week, aimed to create a commercial subsidiary valued at US$20 billion that would oversee major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup and Club World Cup. The plan was abandoned within days after fierce opposition, with UEFA reportedly threatening to boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.
The fallout has cast doubt over Infantino’s previously comfortable path to securing a fourth and final term as FIFA president at next year’s election in Rabat. Reports suggest he has called a crisis meeting with FIFA staff in Morocco as pressure continues to mount.
Several UEFA member associations, including Wales, Finland, Sweden and Serbia, have reportedly withdrawn their support for Infantino’s re-election, while the English FA is also believed to be reconsidering its backing.
Jordan FA president Prince Ali bin Hussein further escalated the controversy by alleging FIFA attempted to influence his federation’s endorsement of Infantino in exchange for resolving outstanding issues involving tournament payments and fan visas.
UEFA has also warned of possible legal action over what it described as a “shabby, backroom, opaque deal,” demanding FIFA preserve all documents related to the abandoned proposal.
While Infantino still retains support from several football associations, including Morocco, Qatar, Kuwait and Lebanon, criticism from senior FIFA figures such as Wenger and Grafstrom has intensified concerns that the FIFA president is losing the confidence of key allies within the organisation.
