World football governing body FIFA has reaffirmed its support for its embattled president, Gianni Infantino, following a crisis meeting in Morocco on Wednesday, August 6th, 2026, amid increasing calls for him to resign.

The controversy centers on a now-withdrawn proposal to sell a 20 percent stake in a new commercial rights entity related to the World Cup. This plan provoked fierce backlash, partly due to the involvement of a company with family ties to US President Donald Trump. The proposal was withdrawn last Friday prior to the meeting.

European football’s governing body UEFA criticized the plan as a "shabby, backroom, opaque deal" orchestrated by Infantino. European Leagues also opposed the possibility of further expanding the World Cup to 64 teams, stating that "FIFA must not be allowed to continue taking unilaterally disruptive decisions."

FIFA apologized to its member associations for the mistakes made regarding the proposal and announced that a review will be conducted, with a report to be presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting.

The FIFA president has faced mounting pressure, including from two senior FIFA officials, amid calls for governance reform to ensure all stakeholders have a formal role in decisions shaping the future of football. "Now more than ever, FIFA requires governance reform that ensures that all relevant stakeholders have a formal role in decisions that shape the future of our game," the organization said.

Additionally, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose country co-hosted the 2026 World Cup with the US and Mexico, publicly stated he no longer has confidence in Infantino's ability to lead FIFA.

Sources