FIFA closes ranks round Infantino amid mounting leadership crisis

FIFA issued an apology on Wednesday for the mistakes surrounding Gianni Infantino's failed attempt to sell World Cup stakes, emphasizing that senior staff at a crisis meeting in Morocco had reaffirmed their full support for the embattled president. The statement admitted the process should have been handled differently and pledged to prevent such errors from recurring in the future.

Secretary-General Mattias Grafström's support was particularly notable, as he had distanced himself from Infantino's abandoned plans in an internal email. The FFE proposal, which aimed to create a commercial subsidiary for profits, was now off the table.

European leagues, including the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A, have called for FIFA governance reform, describing the FFE proposal as "dangerous" and highlighting deeper concerns about FIFA's operations. They urged "serious questions" about FIFA's governance, internal culture, and decision-making, warning that until reforms are made, they would reject expansion or creation of new FIFA competitions.

Portugal and Real Madrid legend Luis Figo also called on Infantino to step down, stating he had "debased the office." FIFA rejected a British media report claiming Infantino had offered Morocco the hosting rights for the 2030 World Cup final, insisting any decision would be made by FIFA in due course. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed no confidence in Infantino, citing a "fatal" governance failure for not consulting senior advisers.

The turmoil surrounding FIFA and Infantino's presidency comes ahead of the March elections, with UEFA and CONCACAF expressing their loss of confidence in FIFA's leadership.