FIFA have pledged their full support to under-fire president Gianni Infantino following an emergency meeting to discuss the fallout of his failed World Cup plan.Pressure from his ultimately doomed plan to sell shares of future World Cups have left many calling for Infantino to depart his post. With the pressure ramping up, the FIFA president called an emergency summit in Morocco to discuss the way forward.While the meeting could have concluded with Infantino’s departure, it ended up having the complete opposite impact as FIFA publicly stood behind their president in a stunning public statement in which they lashed out at “attacks on their integrity.”“Following a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, the FIFA Secretary General and members of the FIFA Management Board in attendance reaffirmed their full support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as the only official elected by the 211 FIFA Member Associations,” a statement read. “In turn, the FIFA President reiterated his full support for 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 that the processes, communications and interactions between the FIFA President, the FIFA Secretary General and the FIFA Management Board that support the delivery of this vision can and should always be continuously improved in terms of their effectiveness and efficiency. “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. “In this regard, FIFA’s top management is 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.”Infantino Apologizes for Nature of World Cup Plan LeakInfantino is keen to move on. | Roberto SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty ImagesThe statement marks a significant U-turn from FIFA and particularly from secretary general Mattias Grafström, who had publicly lashed out at Infantino’s plans and the nature in which they were leaked to the media, rather than formally presented to the rest of the group beforehand.Aiding the internal reunion was an apology from Infantino, both in the public forum of the meeting and through a private letter.“The meeting also addressed the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, where mistakes made were acknowledged,” the statement continued. “It was agreed that it was not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently. It was further acknowledged that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media. “In a separate letter to the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations, an apology was made for these errors together with a commitment to ensure they do not happen again. A review will now be conducted, and a report will be presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting.“As previously communicated, the FFE 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, it was agreed that 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 FIFA will continue to improve its 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. “FIFA will work closely with the relevant stakeholders to examine how it 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 the Regional Associations.“What Does New Statement Mean for Infantino?Infantino plans to stand for re-election. | Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty ImagesWhat we know for certain is that Infantino will not be resigning from his post, nor will FIFA be forcing him out. However, that does not guarantee his continuity.Forty-three of FIFA’s 211 Member Associations (MAs) can trigger an emergency congress and a vote of no confidence against the president. A handful of MAs have publicly confirmed a loss of confidence in Infantino, while UEFA and its 55 MAs have all called for change in some capacity. Concacaf, the group that governs North and Central America and the Caribbean, has backed UEFA’s stance, while South America’s CONMEBOL are set to hold formal talks about their stance.“We are in talks with CONMEBOL regarding this matter, but it’s something we don’t view favorably,” Samir Xaud, president of the Brazilian Football Confederation, revealed. “We will make a collective decision together with CONMEBOL, but I, personally, am somewhat against this sale of rights.”The more convential route to a change at the top of FIFA would come in March’s presidential elections. Infantino was expected to stand unopposed and had received letters of support from the vast majority of FIFA’s MAs before the World Cup, although several have been withdrawn following the events of the past few weeks.A handful of influential figures have subsequently been touted as challengers to Infantino’s post, with Concacaf president Victor Montagliani among those backed to announce their candidacy.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow