Gianni Infantino to Retain FIFA Presidency Following Scrapped Commercial Deal

FIFA President Gianni Infantino will remain in his role despite escalating backlash over a controversial plan to sell commercial rights for the World Cup and other major tournaments to private equity investors.

The decision was confirmed during an emergency FIFA board meeting held in Rabat on August 5. According to an official statement, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström and present board members reaffirmed their support for Infantino following days of widespread criticism. The governing body acknowledged the controversy, committing to learn from the breakdown and reform internal governance procedures.

In addition, FIFA issued an official apology to national and continental football associations for mistakes made surrounding the initiative, pledging that similar moves would not occur in the future.

The fallout began after FIFA revealed plans to partial-privatize tournament commercial rights through a new commercial entity. The proposal triggered immediate backlash led by UEFA, which declared a loss of trust in FIFA leadership and threatened to boycott all FIFA tournaments. Faced with unified opposition from multiple continental bodies, Infantino announced on August 1 that FIFA had officially abandoned the project.