Rabat: FIFA’s leadership has issued an apology following a crisis meeting on Wednesday, concerning President Gianni Infantino’s proposal to open the World Cup to private investment. The meeting was convened in response to widespread outrage over the plan and Infantino himself. The FIFA management board admitted to errors following the proposal’s leak to the media and confirmed that Infantino has since retracted the plan.

According to Deutsche Welle, FIFA’s management board expressed continued support for Infantino, emphasizing his position as the sole official elected by the 211 FIFA Member Associations. A statement from the board, following a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, reaffirmed this support, while also acknowledging the need for a review and issuing an apology to FIFA Council members and the 211 member associations.

FIFA has declared it will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity or governance, committing to protective measures for its reputation. Infantino has faced increasing calls to step down since the plan was abandoned on Saturday.

The controversy surrounded a proposal to sell a 20% stake in a new commercial rights entity to private investors, a deal projected to raise approximately $4.2 billion. Criticism intensified due to the involvement of a company linked to former US President Donald Trump, an ally of Infantino. UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, threatened a World Cup boycott over the plan.

Following the plan’s withdrawal, UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) expressed their loss of confidence in Infantino’s leadership. The European Leagues, representing over 1,300 clubs, criticized FIFA’s unilateral decision-making, which they argue adversely affects clubs, players, and fans.

The timeline provided by FIFA to assess the plan for expanding the World Cup from 48 to 64 teams for the 2030 tournament was criticized for being impractically short. As Infantino faces re-election in March at FIFA’s next Congress in Morocco, which will co-host the 2030 World Cup, his previously anticipated fourth term now appears uncertain.