FIFA apologises to 211 member associations after failed Forward project

FIFA has apologised to its 211 member associations and acknowledged mistakes over a failed proposal linked to the sale of part of its international competitions, including the World Cup, following an emergency meeting in Rabat between president Gianni Infantino and senior officials.

The governing body sent a letter to all 211 associations on Wednesday evening outlining the discussions in Morocco. The meeting came after the collapse of the project, which was intended to create a new commercial structure around international competitions.

According to AS, FIFA said the meeting had been held to review events from the previous few days and provide an update to its members.

“The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the events of the past few days and to update you on the latest developments,” the letter said.

It added that the meeting first praised the work carried out by FIFA’s administration, which had ensured the successful organisation of the 2026 World Cup.

“This would not have been possible without the co-operation of the president, the secretary general and the FIFA administration, who worked as one team and were in complete agreement,” it said.

The letter also sought to clarify the relationship between Infantino, FIFA secretary general Matthias Grafstrom and the organisation’s administration.

“To clarify any misunderstanding, the secretary general and the FIFA Board members present at the meeting confirm their full support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the only person elected by FIFA’s 211 member associations,” it said.

“In turn, the FIFA president confirms his full support for the secretary general and the FIFA administration for their essential and exceptional work in implementing his vision.”

FIFA said the meeting had concluded that communication, interaction and operational efficiency between the president, secretary general and Board could, and should, be improved continuously.

“We are fully confident that the results of today’s meeting will strengthen FIFA’s governance, help restore confidence in the organisation and enable us to prepare, united and transparently, for the major events and challenges ahead, while continuing to fulfil our mission to develop football throughout the world,” the letter said.

The organisation also admitted errors in the way the failed FIFA Forward proposal was prepared and handled.

“In this regard, we acknowledge that mistakes were made in the proposal to establish the project. It was never our intention to exclude the FIFA Board and the member associations from this process. We should have acted differently,” FIFA said.

“We also acknowledge that mistakes were made after the proposal was leaked to the media.”

The governing body apologised to any associations that felt they had been treated unfairly, and promised to examine what happened.

“Please accept our sincere apologies for these mistakes. We are committed to ensuring that they are not repeated,” the letter stated.

“To that end, we will carry out the necessary analysis and a report on this matter will be presented at the next FIFA Board meeting.”

FIFA also confirmed that the proposal had been withdrawn before it could be submitted for approval by the member associations and the FIFA Board.

It then issued a warning, saying it would not tolerate attacks on its integrity, good governance or procedures now that the proposal had been withdrawn.

“FIFA will take all necessary measures to protect and preserve its name and reputation,” it said.

The letter concluded by saying FIFA would learn from the episode and continue examining how football development could be strengthened through the FIFA Forward programme for the benefit of its 211 member associations, continental confederations and regional associations.

“We are fully available to answer any questions you may have and look forward to meeting you in person soon,” the letter said.

It was signed by Matthias Grafstrom, FIFA’s secretary general.