FIFA apologises for World Cup sale plan, Grafström admits mistake

FIFA president Gianni Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafström issued a Wednesday letter apologising for the aborted “sale of the World Cup” project, acknowledging that “Nous reconnaissons que des erreurs ont été commises” during the proposed opening of the Coupe du Monde 2026 to private investors.

The letter was addressed to members of the FIFA Council and was first reported by Sky News.

It explained that the initiative, dubbed Fifa Forward Enterprise, aimed to open the global football institution to private capital, a move that sparked a crisis meeting in Rabat.

“Nous reconnaissons que des erreurs ont été commises lors du processus de création proposée de Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE)”, the document read, adding that the leak to the media had amplified the controversy.

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Infantino and Grafström promised a full review and said a report would be presented at the next FIFA Council meeting.

They also declared that FIFA would tolerate no breach of its integrity, governance or regular procedures, and pledged to take all measures necessary to protect the organisation’s name and reputation.

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Il y a toujours des leçons à tirer et nous continuerons d'améliorer processus à la lumière de cette expérience, the letter continued, noting that despite the mistakes, all actions had complied with FIFA’s regulatory framework.

The executive also reaffirmed its total support for Infantino, while the president reiterated his full backing for Grafström and the FIFA administration for their essential work in implementing his vision.