Saudi Arabia backs Gianni Infantino ‘at this time’ in major boost to Fifa president

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has received significant support from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) amid a major crisis surrounding his leadership. The federation, the host of the 2034 World Cup, had remained silent for weeks after Infantino's controversial proposal to partially privatize the World Cup attracted widespread criticism.

However, after a recent meeting, SAFF expressed its support for Infantino and FIFA's commitment to retract the privatization plan. The federation emphasized the importance of unity within the football community and praised Infantino's contributions to expanding the game globally over the past decade. Saudi Arabia, set to host the 2034 World Cup, has strong ties with FIFA through its Public Investment Fund and Aramco, a company with a $400m partnership with FIFA.

Infantino is known to have a close relationship with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and supported Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 strategy. The federation's decision to support Infantino could weaken the coalition of Uefa, AFC, and Concacaf, who had previously backed his critics. Other confederations, including Qatar and Mexico, have also backed Infantino despite their own confederation's opposition.

Uefa is expected to call off its boycott of FIFA events following assurances that Infantino will not revive the privatization proposal. SAFF expressed hope for broader and more direct dialogue to restore confidence in FIFA's leadership, governance, and communication processes.