Morocco summit reaffirms FIFA’s stance
FIFA issued a stark warning that a coordinated attempt is underway to destabilise President Gianni Infantino’s administration, underscoring the gravity of the situation as the governing body faces its most serious test in years.
The controversy centres on Infantino’s plan to generate roughly $4.2 billion by auctioning exclusive commercial rights to upcoming competitions, a scheme that has drawn sharp criticism from UEFA and several national associations, some of which have openly called for his resignation.
While the European governing body and a handful of national federations have voiced loss of confidence, other continental bodies have rallied behind Infantino. The Confederation of African Football issued an unequivocal endorsement, and CONMEBOL declared that any effort to remove the president must follow a vote by the full membership.
The Mexican Football Federation echoed this position, stating it would recognise only processes that conform to FIFA’s statutes, even as the Norwegian Football Federation became the latest national association to demand the president’s departure, citing a lack of institutional trust.
A crisis meeting convened in Morocco reaffirmed FIFA’s commitment to its current leadership, with the organization stressing that any challenge to Infantino’s mandate must adhere to democratic procedures and its statutes, and it denied allegations of improper payments linked to UEFA’s former employee.
FIFA categorically rejected claims that UEFA had made undisclosed payments to a former employee during Infantino’s tenure as European secretary general, insisting that all financial transactions have been fully accounted for and that the organization remains committed to transparent governance.