On Thursday, the leaders of six Arab soccer federations publicly endorsed FIFA President Gianni Infantino as he navigates challenges following his unsuccessful private investment plan for the World Cup. The federations from Morocco, Qatar, Egypt, Mauritania, Lebanon, and Sudan, four of which hold positions on the FIFA council, issued a statement expressing their “full support” and “confidence” in Infantino’s leadership.
The statement emphasized their belief in his commitment to the global development of football, reinforcing his role at a time when he faces scrutiny over his recent initiatives. “We, the undersigned leaders of our respective football associations, express our full support for Mr. Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA,” the statement read, highlighting the solidarity among the federations as the 2030 World Cup approaches.
And on Thursday, the Football Association of Ireland said in a statement it has withdrawn its support for Infantino to be re-elected as FIFA president in March, saying “recent events have raised significant concerns regarding governance, transparency and the lack of meaningful consultation. Infantino is facing a revolt after his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors. New Zealand Football issued a statement Friday local time saying it had withdrawn its support for the candidature of Infantino and was seeking an independent review of steps taken to develop the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme.
He withdrew the $20 billion proposal after a furious backlash by global soccer officials, including European body UEFA, which has warned of a boycott of all FIFA games and events.
The statement said the signatories “look forward to continuing our close cooperation with him towards a stronger and more prosperous future for world football, expanding opportunities and further enhancing Arab football’s contribution to the global game. The soccer federations in England and Wales did the same last week, while Northern Ireland said it was backing UEFA’s stance. Without commenting on Infantino’s position, the OFC said it welcomed FIFA’s decision to withdraw the FFE proposal and its commitment to review the issues surrounding the project. “OFC recognizes the progress achieved over the last decade in advancing football development in Oceania under FIFA’s leadership and encourages FIFA to use the review as an opportunity to identify and implement any changes that may be necessary,” the statement said.
