John Ivison: Carney criticizes Infantino’s FIFA plan, but Soccer Canada’s history is hardly spotless

Six heads of Arab national football associations, including Qatar and Morocco, have joined the growing support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, reports suggest. The FIFA administration is in turmoil following the collapse of Infantino's private investment plan, which aimed to bring in commercial rights to the World Cup and sell 20% to private investors to raise around $4.2bn.

Infantino, who is up for re-election in the coming year, faced a revolt from three confederations – UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF – who demanded his resignation over the aborted plan. In a joint statement, the heads of the six Arab federations – Qatar, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Egypt, and Mauritania – expressed their full backing for Infantino and reaffirmed their confidence in his leadership.

The statement highlighted Infantino's efforts to advance football globally, expand opportunities across all regions, and strengthen the game's role in bringing people and communities together. Despite the opposition from the European, Asian, North and Central American, and Caribbean confederations, representing 136 of the 211 member associations voting in the FIFA presidential election in March, Infantino still has a strong ally base within the sport.