After four hours of discussions, FIFA issued a statement reaffirming its full support for Infantino.
The move came after the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announced over the weekend that it had lost confidence in the FIFA president, describing the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project as “a shabby, backroom, opaque deal.”
Criticism has also emerged from within FIFA itself, including from the organization’s Secretary General, Mattias Grafström, who attended Wednesday’s meeting.
In a letter sent to FIFA staff on Tuesday, Grafström described the events surrounding the proposal as “a series of unfortunate and regrettable actions.”
However, in the statement released after the meeting, both Grafström and the FIFA Council reaffirmed their full support for Infantino’s leadership.
Infantino and Grafström also jointly signed a letter addressed to FIFA’s vice presidents, Council members and all 211 member associations, offering what they described as a “sincere apology” for mistakes made during the handling of the proposal and pledging that similar errors would not be repeated.
Following the meeting, the two officials were photographed together attending a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations match in Rabat.
According to reports, Infantino had proposed that each FIFA member association could receive up to $40 million (about Rwf58 billion) if they supported plans to allow private investment in FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups, through a new entity known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
FIFA acknowledged that mistakes had been made in the way the FFE proposal was handled, admitting that FIFA Council members and national football associations should not have felt excluded from the process. The organization said the initiative should have been managed differently.
The governing body also admitted shortcomings in its response after details of the proposal became public through media reports.
British newspaper The Times first revealed the existence of the proposal on July 28.
At the same time, FIFA warned that it would not tolerate attacks on its integrity, governance or commitment to lawful administration, adding that it would take all necessary steps to protect its reputation.
Earlier, FIFA had dismissed a report by The Times alleging that Infantino had promised Morocco the right to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup final in exchange for political support.
The organization described the allegations as “false and misleading,” insisting that the decision on the venue for the final would be made “at the appropriate time.”
The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be hosted jointly by Morocco, Spain and Portugal.
Infantino hopes that Wednesday’s developments will help ease what has become the most serious political challenge of his decade-long presidency.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose country co-hosted the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico, also said he no longer had confidence in Infantino’s leadership.
Former Portugal international LuÃs Figo, who played for Barcelona and Real Madrid and challenged Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency in 2015 before withdrawing his candidacy, has also called on Infantino to resign immediately.
Despite the growing criticism, the 56-year-old FIFA president appears determined to seek a fourth term in office.
Candidates wishing to challenge him have until November 18 to submit their nominations. The election will take place during the FIFA Congress in Morocco in March 2027.
To be elected FIFA president, a candidate must secure at least 106 votes from the organization’s 211 member associations.
