FIFA President Infantino Holds Emergency Talks Amid Criticism

FIFA President Gianni Infantino held emergency talks with other directors of the world football governing body on Wednesday, May 8, 2026, amid ongoing criticism regarding his now-abandoned proposal to open the World Cup to private investment. Infantino faced increasing pressure, even from within FIFA, following his decision to withdraw the proposal last Saturday.

The discussions took place in Morocco, where Infantino was present to celebrate the Feast of the Enthronement. Among those in attendance was FIFA's secretary-general, Mattias Grafstrom, whose critical internal email about the proposal was leaked on Tuesday. This leak added to the upheaval surrounding Infantino’s leadership.

Moroccan Football chief Fouzi Lekjaa remained one of the few supporters of Infantino, praising him for the “wise” decision to rescind the plan, which he stated was in the interest of “unity and cohesion.” Lekjaa expressed his support for initiatives aimed at the development of world football during Infantino’s decade in office.

Infantino, who is 56 years old and hails from Switzerland, previously enjoyed a surge of goodwill following the successful hosting of the largest World Cup ever, featuring 48 teams and co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the US. He had expected to receive backing for a fourth and final term during a gathering in Rabat next March, as no other candidates had emerged to challenge him.

This situation changed dramatically following last week's announcement that FIFA planned to generate up to $4.2 billion through a commercial subsidiary named FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which was intended to manage events like the World Cup. FIFA suggested that the project would enable a one-off payment of $20 million to each of its 211 member associations in early 2027, while increasing their funding allotment for the 2027-2030 cycle from $8 million to $20 million.

However, the proposal provoked significant backlash, leading UEFA, the governing body for European football, to threaten a boycott of the World Cup. Infantino withdrew the proposal by Saturday, stating that the goal of FIFA has always been to “unite and improve.” This decision did not quell dissent; UEFA criticized the plan as a “shabby, back room, opaque deal” that had eroded confidence in FIFA's leadership. CONCACAF further escalated the situation by demanding a “comprehensive reckoning” concerning Infantino's presidency and condemning his governance.

Grafstrom's leaked email described the events surrounding the proposal as a "sad and reproachable series of events" and emphasized that the institution's mission to serve world football remains unaffected despite individual shortcomings.