FIFA president Gianni Infantino has called an emergency meeting of senior football officials in Morocco as the governance crisis engulfing world football continues to deepen following the collapse of a controversial proposal to sell commercial stakes in the FIFA World Cup.
The meeting comes amid growing demands for Infantino to step down after football associations and senior FIFA figures publicly criticised the now-abandoned plan, which reportedly sought to raise about £3.1 billion by selling part of the World Cup’s commercial rights.
The proposal was eventually withdrawn after widespread opposition, with reports suggesting several national associations threatened to boycott the tournament if the plan proceeded.
Calls for Infantino’s resignation have continued to gather momentum across the football world.
Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali bin Al Hussein has become the latest senior football official to publicly back calls for the FIFA president to resign, reportedly taking the number of supporting national associations to 91. Under FIFA’s statutes, 106 votes would be required to remove the president from office.
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Prince Ali said the controversy surrounding the World Cup proposal reflected wider governance concerns within FIFA.
“There is no shortage of issues regarding FIFA,” he said.
The Jordan FA president alleged that supporters encountered visa difficulties during the World Cup in the United States despite holding valid match tickets and claimed the federation incurred significant tax liabilities while participating in the tournament.
He also said prize money due to Jordan for reaching the FIFA Arab Cup final in Qatar had remained unpaid since December.
Prince Ali further alleged that he was told support for Infantino’s leadership could influence FIFA’s relationship with the Jordan Football Association.
“It was verbally communicated to me during the World Cup that if I endorsed Infantino, it would go a long way toward helping our FA.”
He rejected the alleged approach.
“We pride ourselves in Jordan on upholding ethical values. We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now. The whole situation amounts to blackmail, and we refuse to give in to that.”
FIFA has not publicly responded to those allegations.
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The emergency meeting follows a series of high-profile criticisms from within FIFA itself.
Former United States Soccer Federation president Carlos Cordeiro, one of Infantino’s senior advisers, resigned from his role after describing the proposed investment deal as “a bad deal for football.”
FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger, also publicly supported the decision to abandon the proposal.
“I firmly believe in an independent FIFA that serves our game with commitment, transparency and integrity,” Wenger said, adding that withdrawing the proposal was “absolutely necessary.”
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström likewise criticized the episode in a message to staff, describing it as “a sad and reproachable series of events” after the proposal was shelved.
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The emergency summit also comes days after FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour publicly criticised the failed World Cup commercial proposal, accusing FIFA staff of being “deceived” over what he described as “the project of one person.”
Lamour said he was prepared to accept any consequences for speaking out.
“If that means I lose my job, then so be it.”
His intervention made him the second senior FIFA executive to publicly distance himself from Infantino’s handling of the proposal, highlighting the growing divisions within football’s world governing body.
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