Gianni Infantino receives official letter of support signed by Gianni Infantino

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FT Desk

It seems Gianni Infantino has the support of his FIFA colleagues for the moment but has raised eyebrows after releasing an open letter to FIFA employees, which displays that support for him, signed by himself.

The President of FIFA is at a crucial part of his tenure in charge of the football's governing body, as he scrambles for support from member associations around the world - as well as his own people.

Many feel his position has become untenable following a series of controversies that came to a head when he announced plans to sell shares in the World Cup to private equity firms. The reaction to that was so universally negative that the proposals were scrapped after just a few days.

There have been calls for him to resign, especially by UEFA, who want him removed either by resignation or via their own candidate at the next election.

Even two high-ranking FIFA executives, Chief of Global Development Arsene Wenger and General Secretary Mattias Grafstrom, distanced themselves from the proposals, as the pressure mounted on Infantino.

However, after crisis talks in Morocco on Wednesday, it appears Infantino has retained the support of FIFA for now, as he and Grafstrom were pictured seated together at the Malawi v Zambia Wafcon group game.

“Following a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, the FIFA secretary general and members of the FIFA management board in attendance reaffirmed their full support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, as the only official elected by the 211 FIFA member associations,” FIFA said in a statement.

“In turn, the FIFA president reiterated his full support for the FIFA secretary general and the FIFA administration for their necessary and outstanding work in the delivery of his vision.

“It was discussed and agreed that the processes, communications and interactions between the FIFA president, the FIFA secretary general and the FIFA management board that support the delivery of this vision can and should always be continuously improved in terms of their effectiveness and efficiency.

“In this regard, FIFA’s top management is fully confident that the outcomes of today’s meeting will strengthen FIFA’s governance, help restore confidence in the organisation and enable us to prepare for the major events and challenges ahead in a united and transparent manner while continuing our mission to develop the game around the world.”

Gianni Infantino signs letter on behalf of FIFA in full support of Gianni Infantino. https://t.co/pVfCBUSliT

— Kieran Maguire (@KieranMaguire) August 6, 2026

The letter acknowledged an apology from Infantino over his controversial plans, but the governing body insisted it would no longer accept its integrity or judgement being questioned by outside forces.

When the plans were first announced, UEFA accused Infantino and FIFA of trying to sell the soul of football.

“Mistakes made were acknowledged,” the statement continued. “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. It was further acknowledged that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media.

“In a separate letter to the FIFA council and FIFA member associations, an apology was made for these errors together with a commitment to ensure they do not happen again. A review will now be conducted, and a report will be presented to the FIFA council at its next scheduled meeting.

“As previously communicated, the FFE proposal, which would have been subject to the approval of the FIFa member associations and the FIFA council, is now off the table. With the project withdrawn, it was agreed that FIFA will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation.

“There are always lessons to be learned, and FIFA will continue to improve its processes in light of this experience. In this instance, however, it is important to stress that, although mistakes were made, everything that was done was done in full compliance with the FIFA regulatory framework.

“FIFA will work closely with the relevant stakeholders to examine how it can further support the development of the game through the FIFA Forward programme for the benefit of FIFA’s 211 member associations, the confederations and the regional associations.”

Bizarrely, in that letter from FIFA to members of the organisation, it is signed by Infantino himself as well as Grafstrom. It should also be noted that he apologised for the lack of communication to FIFA members, but not for the private equity idea itself.

On Wednesday, the Times reported that Infantino had promised the World Cup final to Morocco, should the country display their support for him moving forward.

The 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco mainly, with special opening fixtures also taking place in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

FIFA denied those claims, however, saying in another statement: “It is false and misleading to claim the FIFA President has made any promise in relation to hosting the FIFA World Cup 2030 Final. A decision will be made by FIFA in due course.”

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FT Desk

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