FIFA governance crisis and UEFA boycott

UEFA says FIFA boycott remains despite Infantino World Cup selloff U-turn

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FIFA held an emergency summit in Morocco to address the FFE controversy and restore confidence.

In early August 2026, FIFA held a high-level summit in Morocco following turbulence caused by the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The project had intended to manage commercial and operational aspects of FIFA competitions, including the World Cups, by inviting third parties to take minority, non-controlling stakes in a commercial subsidiary.

During the summit, FIFA acknowledged that mistakes had been made regarding the FFE and issued apologies to member associations. While FIFA maintained that its actions were in line with its regulatory framework, the organization stated it hoped the meeting would help restore confidence in the body after the controversy.

Carlos Cordeiro, a close advisor to Gianni Infantino, resigned in protest over the FFE proposal.

In late July 2026, Carlos Cordeiro, a close confidant and advisor to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, resigned in protest. His departure followed the uproar caused by the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.

The FFE proposal sought to create a new subsidiary to manage the commercial and operational aspects of FIFA competitions, including the World Cups. The plan's most controversial element involved an intention to sell 20 percent of shares in the FFE to private investors. The project was eventually abandoned, with components of the controversy described by FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström as a 'sad and reprehensible series of events.'

The fallout from the proposal led to significant friction within football governance. UEFA stated it had lost confidence in Infantino’s presidency, while other organizations and officials distanced themselves from the leadership following the FFE fiasco.

The Football Association of Wales became the first national association to withdraw support for Infantino’s re-election candidacy.

Amidst a governance crisis, the Football Association of Wales became the first national association to withdraw its support for Gianni Infantino’s candidacy for re-election as FIFA president.

The move follows widespread opposition to Infantino’s presidency, including a loss of confidence from UEFA and allegations of presidential power abuse. While some nations expressed support for the president, other associations such as England, Serbia, Sweden, and Finland also withdrew their backing for his re-election bid.

FIFA announced plans to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) and sell 20% of its shares to private investors.

FIFA previously proposed the creation of a new subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). This entity was intended to manage the commercial and operational aspects of various FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup.

The most controversial element of this proposal involved the intention to sell 20 percent of shares in the FFE to private investors. This plan would have invited third parties to take minority, non-controlling stakes in the subsidiary.