Infantino calls emergency FIFA meeting as pressure grows over commercial plan

FIFA president Gianni Infantino will hold an emergency meeting with senior officials in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday as he attempts to contain a deepening crisis that is threatening his position.

The meeting comes after Infantino abandoned plans for FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a controversial commercial company intended to manage the world governing body’s competition and operational rights. The proposal included selling a 20% stake in the new business to private investors.

According to British broadcaster Sky Sports, the project was withdrawn last week following strong opposition from national and confederation football associations, as well as threats to boycott FIFA competitions.

The decision has been followed by an unprecedented wave of criticism directed at Infantino, with a number of prominent figures inside and outside FIFA publicly increasing the pressure on the Swiss administrator on Tuesday.

One of the most significant interventions came from Arsene Wenger, who said he had not been involved in preparing the project. Wenger described its withdrawal as “absolutely necessary and beyond debate” and reaffirmed his belief that FIFA must remain independent and operate according to the principles of transparency and integrity.

FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom also wrote to the organisation’s employees, describing the events of recent days as “an unfortunate and unacceptable series of events”.

Grafstrom thanked FIFA staff after they found themselves caught up in a political crisis over which they had no control. He also said the organisation would continue carrying out its responsibilities despite the turmoil surrounding it.

His message came days after the resignation of Infantino’s senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, who described FIFA Forward Enterprise as “a bad deal for football”.

The dispute has also prompted direct accusations against FIFA from Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, president of the Jordan Football Association. He accused the governing body of “blackmail”, claiming it had linked assistance for Jordan on several issues to public support for Infantino in the next FIFA presidential election.

Prince Ali said those issues included outstanding financial payments and problems affecting Jordanian supporters during the World Cup. He added that the Jordan Football Association was still waiting for the prize money awarded for finishing runners-up at the 2025 Arab Cup.

He also referred to the tax burden incurred by the association because the national team delegation was based in the United States, as well as difficulties faced by supporters trying to obtain travel visas.

“The real problem lies in the leadership,” Prince Ali said, adding that Jordan “will not give its support to Infantino”.

UEFA is taking its own steps in response to the commercial proposal. European football’s governing body has said it is considering legal action over FIFA Forward Enterprise and has requested that all documents and correspondence connected to the project be preserved ahead of a possible investigation.

UEFA lost confidence in Infantino after the crisis, while several European associations, including England and Wales, withdrew their formal backing for his re-election. Other national associations are expected to take a similar position.

Infantino has also faced criticism from former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who has called for a woman to become the organisation’s next leader. Blatter has declared his support for Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Federation, to succeed Infantino.

Blatter said Klaveness was one of the few figures in world football to maintain an independent position. He added that the time had come for a woman to lead FIFA.

Norway was among a small number of associations that had not announced support for Infantino’s re-election at the March 2027 election.

Asia is expected to become the decisive arena in any possible contest for the FIFA presidency. Europe and associations from North, Central America and the Caribbean are expected to support any move aimed at ending Infantino’s tenure, while several federations in Africa, South America and Oceania continue to back him.