{
  "id": 193106,
  "title": "FIFA says leadership fully supports President Infantino",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/fifa-says-leadership-fully-supports-president-infantino",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-05T21:42:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sport/fifa-says-leadership-fully-supports-president-infantino-6302191"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Following a crisis meeting in Morocco on Wednesday, August 5, FIFA's leadership has reaffirmed its full support for President Gianni Infantino. The proposal to sell a 20% stake in a commercial rights entity to private investors, which would have raised approximately $4.2 billion, sparked widespread criticism and was subsequently withdrawn. Infantino faced intense scrutiny, including some from within FIFA, which questioned his re-election as president in March. FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom expressed regret over the series of unfortunate events that led to the proposal's abandonment in an internal memo to staff. FIFA has apologized to its members and promised a review, emphasizing that the process should have been handled differently. The proposal, which involved a company with family ties to US President Donald Trump, drew criticism from UEFA, CONCACAF, the AFC, and European football's governing body. Despite the controversy, Infantino retains numerous allies, particularly in regions where FIFA's financial support is vital. Infantino, who has held the presidency since 2016, currently faces no clear challenger for the 2031 election, giving him a strategic advantage.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport Football",
        "title": "Infantino remains Fifa president after executive meeting",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/infantino-remains-fifa-president-after-executive-meeting",
        "published": "2026-08-05T21:37:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "Infantino should quit as FIFA president, says Canadian prime minister",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/infantino-should-quit-as-fifa-president-says-canadian-prime-minister",
        "published": "2026-08-05T21:38:52.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "DW News",
        "title": "FIFA president Infantino to stay on after crisis meeting",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/fifa-president-infantino-to-stay-on-after-crisis-meeting",
        "published": "2026-08-06T01:10:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Carney curses Infantino as FIFA backs its president",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/carney-curses-infantino-as-fifa-backs-its-president",
        "published": "2026-08-06T05:05:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Japan Times",
        "title": "FIFA apologizes to members and affirms support for president Gianni Infantino",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/fifa-apologizes-to-members-and-affirms-support-for-president-gianni",
        "published": "2026-08-06T06:44:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NPR",
        "title": "Gianni Infantino gets internal support at crisis meeting to remain as FIFA president",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/gianni-infantino-gets-internal-support-at-crisis-meeting-to-remain-as",
        "published": "2026-08-06T08:52:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}