FIFA’s top leadership has reaffirmed its support for president Gianni Infantino following a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, where officials discussed the organisation’s governance, communication processes and the fallout from the withdrawn FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.

The meeting, held on Wednesday, was attended by Infantino, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström and members of the FIFA Management Board.

Here are five key takeaways from the meeting:

1. FIFA Management Board backs Infantino

FIFA said its Secretary General and the Management Board members present reaffirmed their “full support” for Infantino, describing him as the only official elected by the organisation’s 211 Member Associations.

Infantino, in turn, expressed his full support for Grafström and the FIFA Administration for their work in implementing his vision.

2. FIFA admits its processes need improvement

The meeting acknowledged that the way the FIFA president, Secretary General and Management Board communicate and interact can be improved.

According to FIFA, officials agreed that the processes supporting the organisation’s leadership and decision-making should become more effective and efficient.

FIFA said the discussions were intended to strengthen governance, restore confidence and help the organisation approach future challenges in a united and transparent manner.

3. FIFA acknowledges mistakes over Forward Enterprise proposal

The leadership also addressed the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which has now been withdrawn.

FIFA acknowledged that mistakes were made during the process, including concerns that the FIFA Council and Member Associations felt excluded.

Officials also accepted that errors occurred in the handling of the situation after the proposal was leaked to the media.

FIFA said an apology had been sent separately to the FIFA Council and Member Associations, alongside a commitment to prevent similar issues from happening again.

A review of the process will now be conducted, with a report expected to be presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting.

4. FIFA says the FFE proposal is off the table

FIFA confirmed that the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal will no longer proceed.

The organisation noted that the proposal would have required approval from both the FIFA Member Associations and the FIFA Council.

With the project withdrawn, FIFA said it would take measures to protect its reputation and defend its principles of integrity, good governance and due process.

The governing body also stressed that, despite the mistakes acknowledged during the meeting, the actions surrounding the proposal were carried out in compliance with FIFA’s regulatory framework.

5. FIFA plans to strengthen the Forward programme

With the FFE proposal abandoned, FIFA said it would work with relevant stakeholders to explore ways of further supporting football development through the FIFA Forward programme.

The programme will continue to focus on benefiting FIFA’s 211 Member Associations, as well as the confederations and regional associations.

FIFA also highlighted the successful delivery of the 2026 World Cup and credited the work of the FIFA President, Secretary General and administration for helping deliver the tournament.

The organisation said the Rabat meeting should help strengthen its governance and restore confidence as it prepares for upcoming major events and challenges.

Vanguard News