The heads of six Arab football federations declared their full support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Thursday as he fights to save his leadership following a major governance crisis.
Strong show of support
The leaders of the football associations of Qatar, Morocco, Egypt, Mauritania, Lebanon and Sudan issued a joint declaration backing Infantino. Four of the signatories serve as members on the decision-making FIFA Council.
In their statement, the federation chiefs said, “We express our full support for Mr. Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA and reaffirm our confidence in his leadership and continued commitment to the development of football worldwide.”
The leaders praised his work across regions, adding, “We deeply appreciate Mr. Infantino’s sustained efforts to advance football globally” and stated, “We look forward to continuing our close cooperation with him towards a stronger and more prosperous future for world football.”
Controversy over private investment
The revolt centers on Infantino’s controversial plan to transfer commercial rights of FIFA competitions to a separate entity and sell a 20 percent stake to private investors for roughly $4.2 billion.
FIFA eventually withdrew the proposal after intense backlash from global football stakeholders.
Opposition demands resignation
Despite the plan being dropped, three major continental confederations – UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) – accused Infantino of a serious breach of trust and demanded his immediate resignation.
Battle for FIFA’s future
With Infantino planning to seek reelection next March, the endorsement from these key Arab nations – along with recent backing from Africa – gives him vital momentum against his opponents.
