Infantino apologises for "errors" but keeps Fifa presidency

Gianni Infantino has apologised for “errors” in his handling of the aborted Fifa Forward Enterprise plan, but will remain Fifa president after receiving the backing of senior executives at a crisis meeting in Morocco. The management board reaffirmed its “full support” for Infantino, even as it acknowledged mistakes in the way the proposal to sell stakes in World Cup and other competitions was developed and communicated.

In a signed letter to the Fifa Council and 211 member associations, Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafström said they “sincerely apologise” for the errors and commit to them not happening again. Fifa admitted that the process “should have been handled differently” and that the council and members were made to feel excluded, while also saying everything done was within Fifa’s regulatory framework.

The controversy began when details of Fifa Forward Enterprise were leaked, revealing a plan to raise billions by selling up to 20% of a new commercial subsidiary to private investors, with Joshua Kushner’s firm linked to the consortium. The backlash from Uefa, member associations and insiders forced Infantino to scrap the project, but the damage to trust has been severe, with Uefa saying it has lost confidence in his leadership.

Infantino’s survival for now rests on strong support from many national associations, particularly in Africa and Asia, which have benefited from Fifa’s development funding. Calls for his resignation – from figures such as Luis Figo and some politicians – have so far not translated into a credible alternative candidate, and the election is not due until March 2027.

The immediate task is damage limitation. Fifa says it will conduct a review and report back to the council, while trying to rebuild relations with Uefa and others. Whether that is enough to restore confidence in Infantino’s leadership, or simply delays a bigger showdown, will depend on how genuine the promised reforms are and whether Uefa can rally wider global support against him.