FIFA President apologises for World Cup sell-off plan

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has apologised for what he described as a "mistake" in handling a controversial proposal to open the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup and other major tournaments to private investors.

Despite the backlash, he has retained the full support of FIFA's senior leadership.

Following an emergency FIFA meeting in Rabat, Morocco, Secretary General Mattias Grafström and members of the FIFA Council issued a joint statement reaffirming their "full confidence" in Infantino, describing him as the only president elected by FIFA's 211 member associations.

The controversy erupted after Infantino proposed creating a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to attract private investment into FIFA competitions. The plan also included a $40 million payment to each member association. However, the proposal drew fierce opposition from UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation, with UEFA's 55 member associations even threatening to boycott the FIFA World Cup. FIFA formally withdrew the proposal last Saturday.

According to the BBC, Infantino and Grafström later sent a joint letter to FIFA Council members and all 211 member associations, acknowledging that the organisation had failed to adequately consult its governing bodies before advancing the plan. They offered a "sincere apology" and pledged to improve FIFA's decision-making process.

The apology has done little to ease criticism. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney questioned Infantino's leadership, while Portugal legend Luís Figo called for his resignation, arguing that he had damaged the credibility of the FIFA presidency.

UEFA also reiterated that it has lost confidence in Infantino and warned that legal action remains an option.

Despite the controversy, the 56-year-old is preparing to seek a fourth term as FIFA president at the FIFA Congress in Morocco in March 2027, where he will require at least 106 votes from the organisation's 211 member associations.