FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrived at an emergency meeting in Sale, Morocco, on Wednesday, facing significant pressure following a controversial plan to sell stakes in the FIFA World Cup. The meeting was called by Infantino himself for crisis talks after the proposals, valued at £3.1 billion, were leaked last week.
Growing Opposition
The plan to sell World Cup stakes has been scrapped by Infantino due to widespread opposition, including internal dissent within FIFA. Both UEFA and CONCACAF, the governing bodies for European and North/Central American football respectively, have called for Infantino's resignation. Europe has officially declared a lack of confidence in the FIFA president.
Adding to the pressure, Prince Ali bin Hussein, president of the Jordan FA, accused Infantino of blackmail. Jordan's stance marks the first Asian nation to rebel against the FIFA president, potentially aligning 91 member associations against him. A total of 106 nations would be required to depose Infantino from his presidency.
Figo's Strong Condemnation
The crisis meeting occurred hours after football legend Luis Figo publicly demanded Infantino's resignation. In an article for Daily Mail Sport, Figo described the now-abandoned World Cup sell-off as the "lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed" and a "grubby, underhand plot." Figo, who initially supported Infantino in 2015, branded the FIFA chief a "relic who should have no part in football’s future" and accused him of a "litany of abuses."
Figo also criticized Infantino's transparency, questioning why the proposal wasn't presented to members before the World Cup Final. He highlighted concerns that the plan would have resulted in Infantino securing a personal role worth five times his current salary and that selling stakes would mean disinheriting future generations from ownership of the World Cup.
Internal Dissent and Past Precedents
Morale among FIFA staff is reportedly at "rock bottom," with secretary general Mattias Grafstrom sending an internal email acknowledging "a sad and reproachable series of events." FIFA's chief operating officer Kevin Lamour stated he was "deceived" by the project. Arsene Wenger, FIFA's chief of global football development, has also distanced himself from the dropped plan.
Allies of Infantino reportedly attempted to secure public support from former FIFA players, often paid to appear at governing body events, but were unsuccessful. This situation draws parallels to the 2015 presidential election, where both Figo and Jordan's Prince Ali stood against then-president Sepp Blatter. Blatter resigned days after his re-election amid widespread backlash.
Infantino arrived at FIFA's Africa regional office in Sale for the crucial meeting amidst this escalating controversy.