FIFA president convenes urgent meeting in Morocco amid backlash over private World Cup plan

President Gianni Infantino held an emergency gathering of FIFA directors at the organization’s African regional office in Sale, near Rabat, on Wednesday. The meeting came after intense criticism of his recently abandoned initiative to create a privately-funded commercial subsidiary, the FIFA Forward Enterprise, which was projected to generate up to $4.2 billion. Leaked internal emails from secretary-general Mattias Grafstrom, condemning the plan, added pressure from within the body.

UEFA labelled the proposal a “shabby, back-room, opaque deal,” while CONCACAF called for a “comprehensive reckoning” with Infantino’s leadership. Moroccan football chief Fouzi Lekjaa, one of the few public allies, praised the decision to scrap the scheme and affirmed his support for Infantino’s broader development goals. The emergency talks aim to address the fallout and restore confidence among member associations.