FIFA renews confidence in Infantino after crisis meeting in Rabat

FIFA's leadership concluded a crisis meeting held on Wednesday, 5 August 2026, at the confederation's regional office for Africa in Salé, near Rabat, by renewing full confidence in president Gianni Infantino. The meeting was attended by secretary general Mattias Grafström and members of FIFA's executive committee.

The "FIFA Forward Enterprise" crisis

The meeting followed an internal crisis triggered by the "FIFA Forward Enterprise" (FFE) project, which aimed to open the organization to private investors before it was abandoned amid a wave of criticism. CONCACAF had called for a "comprehensive reassessment" of the FIFA president's governance, while UEFA said it had "lost confidence" in Infantino, with several European federations withdrawing their support for his re-election.

Renewed confidence, mistakes acknowledged

At the close of the meeting, FIFA's leadership renewed its full and absolute support for Infantino, describing him as the organization's only official elected by its 211 member associations. Leadership also acknowledged mistakes made during the FFE process, including a sense of exclusion felt by the Council and member associations.

Road to the 2027 election

Infantino remains, for now, the only declared candidate for re-election as FIFA president, with the vote scheduled for March 2027 in Rabat.