Infantino’s crisis meeting in Morocco as allies abandon him

Gianni Infantino has called senior FIFA officials to a crisis meeting in Morocco on Wednesday after a bruising Tuesday that saw him accused of blackmail and attacked by senior figures within the governing body, including the federation’s secretary‑general and chief of global football development, as his plans to sell World Cup commercial stakes unravel.

On Tuesday, FIFA secretary‑general Mattias Grafstrom described Infantino’s abandoned World Cup sell‑off as “a sad and reproachable series of events” in an internal email, while FIFA chief of global football development Arsène Wenger said scrapping the proposals was “absolutely necessary”.

UEFA announced on Saturday that it had lost confidence in Infantino, and a growing list of national associations have withdrawn support. Jordan FA president Prince Ali bin Hussein publicly accused Infantino of “blackmail”, posting on X that Jordan “did not endorse him before and certainly will not now”.

Infantino has been posting messages of support from some national associations on his personal Instagram but has not appeared publicly since FIFA scrapped the share‑sale in the early hours of Saturday. He remains in Morocco after attending an event celebrating the 27th anniversary of King Mohammed VI’s ascension; Morocco will co‑host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal and hopes to stage the final.

UEFA warns FIFA and Infantino of legal action over World Cup plan

Senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro quit in protest of the sell‑off proposals, and FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said staff had been “deceived” over the plans. Grafstrom’s email added that the turmoil was “difficult to comprehend and accept… individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go”.

Former Arsenal manager Wenger claimed he had no prior knowledge of the sell‑off reports and insisted FIFA must serve the game with “commitment, transparency, and integrity”.

Jordanian FA chief accuses FIFA of blackmail amid World Cup woes

Five influential African football figures, including CAF Vice President Fouzi Lekjaa, publicly backed Infantino, and the federations of Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Indonesia also declared continued support. The Football Association (FA) is set to follow Wales in withdrawing support, while UEFA’s opposition was echoed by two other confederations in Asia and CONCACAF, and UEFA has written to Infantino confirming it is “actively considering” legal action over the scheme.

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