Rabat: Infantino faces executives amid criticism over scrapped commercial plan

By Rohan Gupta — 5 August 2026 — 4 min read

Gianni Infantino, president of football’s world governing body, is scheduled to meet with senior executives in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday. This meeting comes as criticism intensifies regarding his recently abandoned plan to sell off commercial and event operations. The proposal has drawn significant backlash from various football figures and associations.

The scrapped plan has led to strong reactions, including a critical internal memo sent by secretary general Mattias Grafstrom to staff. Arsene Wenger, chief of global football development, stated he was “not involved” in the Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal and deemed its abortion “absolutely necessary and beyond question.”

Mounting Pressure and Key Questions

Prince Ali, president of the Jordanian Football Association, accused Fifa of creating a situation that “amounts to blackmail” concerning unpaid prize money and support for Infantino’s re-election. These claims have not been verified, and Fifa has not commented, but Prince Ali’s statement highlights strong opposition among member associations.

Uefa has expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino’s leadership, and several member associations, including Wales, have withdrawn support for his re-election, with England reportedly set to follow. The meeting in Rabat, understood to be at Fifa’s Africa office, will include Grafstrom and members of the Fifa management board, such as finance chief Thomas Peyer, legal chief Emilio Garcia Silvero, chief of staff Daniel O’Toole, chief of member associations Elkhan Mammadov, and media relations director Bryan Swanson.

The intention of the meeting is unclear, but Infantino is expected to try to mend relationships and secure his position. However, this may not be straightforward, especially given Grafstrom’s characterisation of recent events as “a sad and reproachable series of events” that were “difficult to comprehend and accept.”

Kevin Lamour, Fifa’s chief operating officer, previously stated that the private investment plan was “the project of one person” and that Fifa’s administration was “deceived.” Infantino may need to show contrition and propose reforms to regain the support of his inner circle.

Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance, resigned over the plan, calling it “a bad deal for football” that would “mortgage football’s future.” Cordeiro’s resignation announcement included a series of questions that Infantino is likely to face, such as the rationale behind the deal, the timing, oversight mechanisms, beneficiaries, and the competitive process.

Cordeiro highlighted the absence of answers to fundamental questions, noting that member associations were asked to make a significant decision within a short timeframe without sufficient information. He described the proposal as a “defining question for Fifa’s future.”

Infantino may also need to outline a path for reform, potentially involving additional checks and balances to prevent similar proposals from being devised and presented in the same manner again. Suggestions include shelving plans for a 64-team World Cup or opening up Fifa’s cash reserves.

Potential Outcomes and Future Challenges

While it seems unlikely that Infantino will resign by the end of Wednesday, he has shown no indication of relinquishing his position. Instead, he has been rallying support globally, with countries like Egypt, Morocco, Niger, Mauritania, and the DR Congo issuing statements in his favour.

Despite this support, Infantino will face serious questions regarding what has been described as a controversial and damaging week for Fifa. Some attendees at the meeting may question his ability to navigate the current situation, especially given the strong criticism from European countries.

If Infantino chooses to continue, Uefa and other confederations may explore alternative methods to remove him. One option is for the Fifa Council to force an emergency meeting, which would require 19 of the 37 council members to call for one. However, there are doubts that the necessary 19 votes could be secured.

Another avenue could be an extraordinary congress of the 211 Fifa member associations, which would be held if one-fifth, or 43 associations, make a written request. Uefa, with 55 nations, has the capacity to trigger such a congress. This process would take a minimum of two months, possibly three, and success is not guaranteed. It would effectively serve as a de facto election, requiring 106 votes to pass a vote of no confidence.

Such a timeframe would allow Infantino to try to win back votes from those angered by the investment plan. Uefa would likely only pursue this route if confident of success. The deadline to announce a candidacy for the election at the Fifa Congress in March is 18 November. Concacaf president Victor Montagliani is considered a potential unity candidate to challenge Infantino.

Inside Fifa, the meeting in Rabat is viewed as an attempt by Infantino to clear the air, demonstrate unity, and align with his senior staff. However, the response he receives remains uncertain, particularly given the critical statements from Wenger, Grafstrom, and Lamour. Infantino’s choice of Morocco for the meeting is seen as strategic, given the country’s support and its role as a host for the next World Cup.

The Uefa-led opposition hopes that Infantino will be compelled to step down before the next congress.

Source: bbc.com