FIFA weathers crisis after failed World Cup share sale plan

FIFA's attempt to move past the biggest internal crisis under President Gianni Infantino is unlikely to end scrutiny of how world football is governed, with questions remaining over whether promised reforms will bring real change before the March presidential election.

After FIFA's leadership gathered in Rabat to publicly reaffirm support for Infantino, world football's governing body apologized to its 211 members on Wednesday for the mistakes surrounding its scrapped proposal to sell a slice of the World Cup's commercial future.

FIFA also pledged to review the processes that led to the controversy, which sparked the most intense revolt of Infantino's decade-long tenure, after national federations complained they had been sidelined.

In a statement issued after Wednesday's meeting, FIFA acknowledged the proposal "should have been handled differently" and said it had no intention of making the FIFA Council or associations feel excluded from the process.

How will FIFA review Infantino's failed World Cup share sale plan?

With matters settling, a review will be conducted before a report is presented to the council at its next meeting. This conciliatory tone contrasts sharply with the increasingly public criticism that forced FIFA to back down.

However, FIFA cannot dodge questions raised by many continental confederations, leagues, and national associations about how major strategic decisions are made and communicated, and these concerns extend beyond the failed commercial rights proposal.

European Leagues, which represents more than 1,300 European clubs, criticized FIFA for what it called an "unrealistic" four-week assessment period for a separate proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams. The organization stressed that stakeholders are often presented with decisions rather than consulted.

In contrast, FIFA insisted all actions regarding the commercial rights proposal complied with its regulations, emphasizing that the mistakes were related to process and communication, not violations of governance rules. FIFA also sought to present a united front, warning critics that with the project scrapped, it would "no longer accept any attacks on its integrity, good governance, and due process."

What is the political landscape at FIFA after the Infantino plan?

For Infantino, the immediate priority is to contain the political fallout before the presidential election in March in Morocco, where he will seek a fourth term running until 2031. Wednesday's meeting achieved that goal as FIFA's management and Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom publicly backed the president, with Infantino responding with praise for the management's work.

Grafstrom had earlier sent an internal memo to staff, lamenting a "sad and regrettable series of events," and without naming Infantino, noted that "individuals, moments of turmoil, and unfortunate periods come and go." However, any signs of tension appeared set aside when Infantino later posted photos of the two smiling and giving thumbs-up at a Women's Africa Cup of Nations match in Rabat.

Will UEFA continue to push for change at the top of FIFA?

Several influential stakeholders, including UEFA, have publicly questioned Infantino's leadership, while continental confederations such as CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation have also voiced criticism. UEFA confirmed to Al Jazeera on Tuesday that it had sent a "letter of request for documents" to FIFA, a move aimed at preventing the deletion or destruction of anything that could be used as evidence before legal action.

At the same time, Infantino still enjoys strong support from many smaller associations, particularly in Africa and Asia, where FIFA's development funding remains central to national football programs. Infantino appears to remain in a favorable political position with no serious challenger emerging before the election, but the controversy has drawn attention to FIFA's internal decision-making processes. Future proposals involving commercial strategy, tournament expansion, or governance reforms are likely to face significantly higher demands for transparency, consultation, and accountability.

What are the latest reactions to FIFA and Infantino?

European Leagues, which includes the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A, has called for FIFA governance reforms as well as questioning the 64-team World Cup plan. They described Infantino's proposal to spin off FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) as "dangerous" and said it signaled deeper concerns about how the governing body operates. FFE, valued by FIFA at $20 billion, would take control of FIFA's profitable commercial and tournament operations, such as the World Cup, through at least 2038. European Leagues said the plan raised "serious questions about FIFA's governance, internal culture, and decision-making process."

Football legend Luis Figo also called on Infantino to resign, saying he had "devalued the office." FIFA dismissed a British media report that Infantino, seeking support for his presidential term, had offered to award the 2030 World Cup final to Morocco. A FIFA spokesperson said the claim that the FIFA president had promised the final was "false and misleading," insisting the decision would be made by FIFA at the appropriate time.

Also on Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he no longer had confidence in Infantino, calling the governance failure "fatal" for not consulting senior advisers. The greatest pressure still comes from UEFA, which has declared a loss of confidence in FIFA's leadership, paving the way for a possible challenge to Infantino's tenure. The deadline for candidates to register for the March election is November 18. Whether UEFA will shift focus to the election or pursue legal measures remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: UEFA is unlikely to stay silent and follow Infantino as FIFA executives did in Rabat.