Gianni Infantino’s leadership of FIFA is facing increased scrutiny after the governing body was forced to abandon a controversial proposal to sell commercial rights to private investors.
The proposed sale of a 20% stake in a new commercial rights entity, which was expected to raise about $4.2 billion, triggered strong opposition from football stakeholders and raised questions about FIFA’s decision-making processes.
Although the proposal was withdrawn last Friday, the controversy has continued to put pressure on Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016 and is seeking to extend his presidency until 2031.
Following a crisis meeting in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday, FIFA said its Secretary General and members of the management board had reaffirmed their “full support” for Infantino.
The FIFA president, in turn, reaffirmed his support for Secretary General Mattias Grafström and the FIFA administration.
The meeting came after growing criticism of the way the commercial rights proposal was handled. FIFA has since apologised to its Council members and member associations, acknowledging that the process should have been handled differently and that stakeholders should not have felt excluded.
Grafström also criticised the events surrounding the failed proposal in an internal memo to staff, describing them as a “sad and reproachable series of events”.
The proposal faced opposition from several major football stakeholders, including UEFA and CONCACAF. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also criticised the way the proposal was presented without sufficient consultation.
UEFA said it had lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership, while UEFA Vice-President Laura McAllister told Reuters that the controversy had brought the FIFA president’s leadership to a crisis point.
European Leagues, which represents more than 1,300 clubs across Europe, also called on FIFA to stop making unilateral decisions that could affect clubs, players and supporters.
The organisation has additionally criticised the short four-week assessment period given to consider a proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams.
Despite the criticism, Infantino retains substantial support among FIFA’s 211 member associations.
Several countries, including Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Philippines, have publicly backed him. Morocco, which will co-host the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain, was also among the first associations to support Infantino after the commercial rights proposal was withdrawn.
African football administrators have also expressed support, although the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has yet to publicly take a position.
Infantino’s position is further strengthened by FIFA’s voting system, under which every member association has one vote regardless of the strength or size of its football industry.
That means smaller associations such as San Marino have the same voting power as World Cup winners including Brazil, Germany, Argentina and Spain.
The biggest uncertainty for Infantino is whether a credible challenger will emerge ahead of the March election. So far, no clear candidate has positioned themselves as a serious alternative.
Former Portugal international Luis Figo, who considered running for the FIFA presidency in 2015, has called for Infantino to resign over the controversy.
Infantino’s camp has rejected claims that the FIFA president made promises regarding the hosting of the 2030 World Cup final in return for political support.
A FIFA spokesperson described such reports as “false and misleading”, saying a decision on the venue for the final would be made by FIFA in due course.
For now, Infantino remains in a powerful position, but the fallout from the abandoned commercial rights proposal has placed FIFA’s governance and leadership under renewed scrutiny.
The coming months will determine whether the controversy fades or becomes a defining issue in Infantino’s bid to remain FIFA president until 2031.