FIFA President Gianni Infantino retains board's support

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has retained the FIFA board's support after a 'crisis meeting' in Morocco on Wednesday, despite fierce pressure to resign from external bodies.

This comes after Infantino had to abandon his plan to sell a 20% stake to private investors and create FIFA Forward Enterprise to manage competitions, a move that turned the association's executives against him as well.

Initially, top FIFA officials considered the Forward Enterprise plan to be reproachable and distanced themselves from Infantino's ideas. After the meeting on Wednesday, however, the FIFA general secretary and the rest of the

board reaffirmed their support for the president.

They boiled it down to unintentional exclusion of the board in the proposal and errors made after the plan was leaked to media.

The Union of European Football, or UEFA, was one of Infantino's biggest opposition, threatening World Cup boycotts if the plan went through. They were also against his plan to expand the 2030 men's World Cup to 64 teams, a proposal made with no consultation of other parties.

Portugal legend Luis Figo demanded the president's resignation, describing his conduct as the "lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour" he has ever witnessed.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also expressed an absence of confidence in Infantino.

FIFA's next presidential election is scheduled for March 2027.