FIFA leadership reaffirmed its full support for President Gianni Infantino during a crisis meeting with senior officials in Morocco on Wednesday. The summit followed a period of increasing pressure on the president after he abandoned a controversial proposal to open the World Cup to private investment last Saturday.
The plan to sell stakes and commercial rights linked to the World Cup triggered a fierce international backlash. Infantino faced public criticism from the organization's top executives and threats of drastic action from UEFA, AFC, and Concacaf. A handful of European federations had also withdrawn their backing for the Swiss-Italian president.
FIFA issued a statement apologizing to its member associations for errors made over the failed plan. The governing body acknowledged that the handling of the withdrawn proposal should have been managed differently.
Infantino retains the full support of Secretary General Mattias Grafström and members of the FIFA management board. Consequently, he intends to remain in his position and run for re-election next March.