Qatar, Morocco among six Arab federations backing Fifa’s Infantino

Qatar, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Egypt and Mauritania have all endorsed Fifa President Gianni Infantino for his work to grow football globally and provide opportunities worldwide. The Qatar 2030 World Cup co-hosts joined six other Arab national football associations in backing the 64-year-old Swiss administrator on Thursday. The body of world football is currently in turmoil following his failed private investment plan which aimed to generate around US$4.2 billion.

Infantino, who is looking to be re-elected next year, has faced a rebellion from three confederations - Uefa, AFC and Concacaf - who called for his resignation due to the aborted attempt to bring private investment into Fifa competitions, including the World Cup. The proposal involved selling 20% of the World Cup's commercial rights to private investors to raise the substantial sum.

In a joint statement, the six federations expressed their full support for Infantino, reaffirming their confidence in his leadership and dedication to the expansion of football globally. Four of the six signatories are also members of the Fifa Council. The statement highlighted Infantino's consistent efforts to advance football on a worldwide scale, broaden opportunities in all regions, and promote the sport's role in uniting people and communities.

They expressed their anticipation of continuing their close collaboration with him to build a stronger and more prosperous future for global football, while emphasizing the importance of expanding opportunities and further enhancing Arab football's contribution to the global game. Despite opposition from the three confederations, representing 136 of the 211 member associations voting in the upcoming Fifa presidential election in March, Infantino still possesses a significant number of allies in the sport.