Morocco meeting for Gianni Infantino amid criticism over Fifa Forward Enterprise
Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, has been in Morocco this past week, where he held discussions with senior officials in Rabat on Wednesday. These talks come amidst mounting criticism regarding a previously proposed plan to sell off a portion of Fifa‘s commercial and event operations, known as the Fifa Forward Enterprise.
Infantino’s visit to Morocco included attending Throne Day celebrations. Following his engagements in Morocco, he is scheduled to travel to Colombia to attend the inauguration of the country’s new president in Cali.
Executive meeting in Rabat
On Wednesday, Infantino convened an executive meeting in Rabat. Attendees included Fifa‘s secretary general Mattias Grafström, chief legal officer Emilio García Silvero, finance chief Thomas Peyer, chief of staff Daniel O’Toole, chief of member associations Elkhan Mammadov, and media relations director Bryan Swanson. Arsene Wenger, Fifa‘s chief of global football development, and Prince Ali, president of the Jordanian Football Association, have both expressed opposition to the Fifa Forward Enterprise.
Grafström, who is seen as a close ally of Infantino and was elevated to secretary general in 2024, described the past week as a “sad and reproachable series of events” in an internal email to Fifa staff. He urged staff to remain focused on serving football and its 211 member associations.
Wenger issued a statement through Fifa, asserting that the decision to withdraw the project was “absolutely necessary and beyond question.” He emphasized his belief in an independent Fifa that operates with commitment, transparency, and integrity. Wenger also stated he was not involved in the strategic plan and became aware of it through media reports.
Prince Ali, who has twice run for the Fifa presidency, accused Fifa of creating a situation that “amounts to blackmail” concerning unpaid prize money. He claimed that Fifa had withheld prize money earned by Jordan from the Fifa Arab Cup and suggested that support for Infantino’s re-election was linked to this. Prince Ali stated that Jordan would not endorse Infantino.
Strategic support and re-election efforts
Infantino’s travels to Africa and South America follow the controversy surrounding the proposed sale of 21% of the World Cup. The Confederation of African Football (Caf) and Conmebol (the South American football confederation) have not joined the Uefa-led opposition to the Fifa Forward Enterprise sell-off and continue to support Infantino.
Infantino is reportedly hoping that Morocco will play a key role in garnering support for him in the Middle East, which is anticipated to be an important area for his re-election bid in March. Unlike Caf and Conmebol, the Asian Football Confederation does not vote as a bloc, meaning Infantino would need to lobby individual countries for support.
Reports emerged that Infantino had offered Morocco a guarantee that they would host the 2030 World Cup final, which they are set to co-host with Spain and Portugal, in exchange for their assistance in lobbying other countries. However, Fifa denied this claim, stating it is “false and misleading” and that a decision would be made by Fifa in due course.
The next presidential election for Fifa is scheduled to take place at Fifa‘s congress, also in Rabat.
Source: theguardian.com
Nathan Crowley is the Sports News Writer at NewsUK, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with six years of reporting experience. He moved from regional newspapers into digital sport. He holds a degree in Journalism from Cardiff University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Cardiff, he plays amateur rugby and follows the Six Nations closely. “Speed and accuracy are not a trade-off in sport news.”
