The meeting lasted approximately seven hours and occurred just days after FIFA retracted its suggested World Cup investment plan due to extensive criticism from member associations and stakeholders.
In a statement released post-meeting, FIFA declared that its management board unanimously endorsed Infantino’s leadership. This board is composed of high-ranking FIFA executives, including the heads of finance, legal affairs, and other operational divisions, yet it does not include members from the associations.
FIFA Secretary General Matthias Grafström, who previously described the situation as a regrettable and blameworthy chain of events, was also present at the meeting.
Additionally, FIFA extended an apology to its member associations via a letter signed by Infantino and Grafström. In this correspondence, the governing body recognized that errors were made during the process of proposing the FIFA Football Enterprise (FFE) and accepted that mistakes were worsened after the proposal details were leaked to the press.
The letter clarified that FIFA’s intent was never to exclude member associations or the FIFA Council from the decision-making process, and it confirmed that the organization would reassess its internal procedures. A report addressing the issue will be presented at the forthcoming FIFA Council meeting, with leadership expressing optimism that the review will aid in rebuilding trust within the organization.
The developments have arisen following the withdrawal of support from several European football associations for Infantino’s re-election campaign. Following this, FIFA officially retracted the investment proposal and indicated that it would not accept attacks on its integrity, emphasizing that it would undertake all necessary measures to safeguard its reputation. Nonetheless, the pressure on Infantino remains. UEFA has stated that a written apology is inadequate and will persist in advocating for his removal through intensified scrutiny of the withdrawn proposal. Former Portugal captain Luís Figo has also openly called for Infantino’s resignation. For the moment, however, the FIFA president has retained the support of the organization’s senior management.
Watch accompanying video for entire conversation.
