FIFA leadership backs Infantino after Morocco meeting

FIFA's senior leadership reaffirmed its support for President Gianni Infantino following a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, on Thursday, while acknowledging mistakes in the handling of a now-withdrawn commercial proposal and pledging to strengthen the governing body's internal processes.

In a statement, FIFA said the meeting was attended by Infantino, Secretary General Mattias Grafström and members of the FIFA Management Board, who agreed that communication and decision-making processes within the organisation should be improved after the controversy surrounding the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.

The football governing body said the participants reaffirmed their support for Infantino, the only FIFA official elected by its 211 member associations, while the president reiterated his backing for Grafström and the FIFA administration.

"It was discussed and agreed that the processes, communications and interactions between the FIFA President, the FIFA Secretary General and the FIFA Management Board ... can and should always be continuously improved in terms of their effectiveness and efficiency," FIFA said.

The organisation also praised the FIFA administration for delivering what it described as a successful 2026 World Cup, saying the achievement reflected close cooperation between Infantino, Grafström and FIFA staff.

The meeting focused in part on the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, which had prompted criticism after details emerged publicly. FIFA said mistakes had been made during the process, including in the way the proposal was presented to the FIFA Council and member associations and in its response after the proposal was leaked to the media.

"It was agreed that it was not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently," the statement said.

FIFA added that an apology had been issued separately to the FIFA Council and its 211 member associations, together with a commitment to prevent similar shortcomings in the future.

The governing body said it would carry out a review of the episode and present a report at the next scheduled meeting of the FIFA Council.

FIFA reiterated that the FFE proposal, which would have required approval from both the FIFA Council and the member associations, had been withdrawn and was no longer under consideration.

Following the withdrawal, FIFA said it would "no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process" and would take "all necessary measures" to protect its reputation.

Despite acknowledging mistakes, FIFA maintained that all actions related to the proposal had complied with its regulatory framework.

Looking ahead, the organisation said it would continue working with member associations, confederations and regional associations to explore ways of strengthening the FIFA Forward programme, which provides development funding to football associations worldwide.

The Rabat meeting concluded with FIFA's leadership expressing confidence that the agreed changes would strengthen governance, restore confidence in the organisation and help prepare for future challenges while continuing efforts to develop football globally.