FIFA apologizes for Gianni Infantino's $20 billion World Cup blunder
What's the story
FIFA has apologized for the mistakes made in Gianni Infantino's failed $20 billion proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup. The governing body of world football said that senior staff who attended a summit in Morocco have "reaffirmed their full support" for Infantino's presidency. The statement acknowledged that "mistakes made were acknowledged" and the process should have been handled differently.
Accountability
FIFA sends letter to council and member associations
FIFA has sent a letter to its Council and member associations, apologizing for the errors made in this process. The organization has also committed to ensuring that such mistakes don't happen again.
Infantino had proposed raising $4.2 billion from investors by selling stakes in a commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). However, he withdrew the proposal after facing severe backlash from global soccer officials.
Reform demands
Infantino proposal labeled 'dangerous' by European leagues
The association of European soccer leagues, including the Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A, have called for governance reform of FIFA.
They described the FFE proposal as "dangerous" and said it raised "serious questions about FIFA's governance, internal culture and decision-making."
Portugal and Real Madrid great Luis Figo also called for Infantino to step down over his actions.
Leadership challenges
FIFA denied report regarding promise made to Morocco
FIFA denied a British media report that Infantino promised Morocco the 2030 World Cup final in return for support.
A FIFA spokesperson said it was "false and misleading" to claim such a promise had been made.
Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also expressed his lack of confidence in Infantino, calling his failure to consult senior advisers a "fatal" governance failure.
Uncertain future
Infantino's future as FIFA president remains uncertain
Despite the support from senior staff, Infantino's future as FIFA president remains uncertain.
Notably, UEFA had voted to boycott the World Cup if Infantino pressed ahead with FFE.
Even after Infantino's climbdown, UEFA said it had lost confidence in FIFA's leadership.
The governing body for North and Central American and Caribbean soccer (Concacaf) also said FIFA leadership had "stopped putting football first."