Gianni Infantino apologises for World Cup sell-off plan in first statement since resignation demands

Gianni Infantino has released a statement apologising for his controversial World Cup plan after FIFA responded for calls for him to be replaced.

It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks since the World Cup for FIFA and its president Infantino.

Within days of Spain lifting the iconic trophy after beating 2022 World Cup winners Argentina in the final this summer, reports of Infantino's bold plan to essentially sell shares in the World Cup emerged.

The plans were set to “invite third parties to make minority, non-controlling investments” in a new subsidiary called the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).

This subsidiary, which was reportedly set to be worth around £15billion, would then be given some control over FIFA's commercial and events operations, including the World Cup.

Unsurprisingly, the proposal was met with huge backlash across the board, with UEFA leading the charge as all all 55 member associations promised to boycott all FIFA competitions if Infantino's plan progressed.

Although initially standing against the backlash, FIFA and Infantino eventually gave in and the plans were officially scrapped.

And now, FIFA and its president have released a joint statement apologising and acknowledging "mistakes were made" during the process of revealing the plans.

The statement reads: "We acknowledge mistakes were made in the process of the proposed establishment of FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). It was certainly not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and it should have been handled differently.

"We acknowledge that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media.

"We sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again."

FIFA reiterated that the proposal is now completely off the table, and a necessary review into the errors in how it was suggested will be presented to the FIFA Council in the next meeting.

However, the governing body also issued a stark warning against 'attacks on its integrity' adding that it will 'take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation' after withdrawing the proposal.

FIFA responds to calls for Gianni Infantino to be replaced as president

In the days since the proposal was scrapped, Infantino has faced increased pressure regarding his future as FIFA president, with several football associations, including England, withdrawing letters of support.

As it stands, the Swiss is set to stand for re-election in March, as he hopes to secure a fourth and final term as president of football's governing body.

To do so, he would need 106 votes from FIFA's 211 members, something which looks increasingly unlikely as England and several other national associations have already withdrawn letters of support for his re-election.

And before the election takes place, FIFA have reaffirmed that it stands full behind Infantino, suggesting that he will remain in place at least until the election next year.

"For the avoidance of doubt, the FIFA Secretary General and the Management Board in attendance reaffirm their full support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as the only official elected by the 211 FIFA Member Associations," the statement read.

"In turn, the FIFA President reiterates his full support to the FIFA Secretary General and the FIFA Administration for their necessary and outstanding work in the delivery of his vision."

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Gianni Infantino's apology statement in full:

"Dear Vice-Presidents, dear Members of the FIFA Council,

"We would like to provide you with a joint update regarding a meeting we had together with members of the FIFA Management Board today in FIFA's offices in Rabat, Morocco. The focus of the meeting was to address the events of recent days and enable us to provide you with an update.

"Firstly, the great work of the FIFA Administration that ensured a successful delivery of the FIFA World Cup 2026 was acknowledged, and which would not have been possible without the FIFA President, the FIFA Secretary General and FIFA Administration speaking as one voice and working as one team.

"For the avoidance of doubt, the FIFA Secretary General and the Management Board in attendance reaffirm their full support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as the only official elected by the 211 FIFA Member Associations. In turn, the FIFA President reiterates his full support to the FIFA Secretary General and the FIFA Administration for their necessary and outstanding work in the delivery of his vision. It was discussed and agreed at the meeting that the processes, communications and interactions between the FIFA President, the FIFA Secretary General and the Management Board that support the delivery of this vision can and should always be continuously improved in terms of their effectiveness and efficiency.

"We are fully confident that the outcomes of today's meeting will strengthen FIFA's governance, help restore confidence in the organisation and enable us to prepare for the major events and challenges ahead in a united and transparent manner while continuing our mission to develop the game around the world.

"In this context, we acknowledge mistakes were made in the process of the proposed establishment of FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). It was certainly not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and it should have been handled differently. We acknowledge that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media.

"We sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again. With this in mind, we will conduct a necessary review, and a report will be presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting.

"Furthermore, as already known, the proposal, which would have been subject to the approval of the FIFA Member Associations and the FIFA Council, is now off the table. With the project withdrawn, FIFA will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation.

"There are always lessons to be learned, and we will continue to improve our processes in light of this experience. In this instance, however, it is important to stress that, although mistakes were made, everything that was done, was done in full compliance with the FIFA regulatory framework.

"We will actively examine together with you how we can further support the development of the game, through the FIFA Forward programme, for the benefit of FIFA’s 211 Member Associations, the Confederations and Regional Associations.

"We remain both at your full disposal in answering any questions you may have in this regard and look forward to seeing you in person again soon.

"Yours in football, Gianni Infantino and Mattias Grafstrom."