Saudi Arabia backs Infantino amid FIFA turmoil, but sets conditions

In a Thursday release, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation declared its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s ongoing attempts to mend divisions across the global football community and to expand the sport’s reach. The statement praised Infantino’s recent admission of errors, his public apology and the cancellation of the FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative, describing these steps as essential first moves. SAFF also underscored the president’s commitment to learning from the episode, enhancing processes, and strengthening governance with greater transparency.

The backlash that forced the withdrawal of the Forward Enterprise plan has been led by UEFA, which is currently debating further actions among its 55 national associations in Monaco. Critics also point to Infantino’s close ties with US President Donald Trump and the unopposed awarding of the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia. The Asian football confederation is seen as a pivotal bloc for Infantino’s 2027 re-election, while Qatar, the 2022 host nation, continues to side with him.