According to a report from Sky News on August 5, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has admitted that “mistakes were made” in the rollout of the World Cup investment initiative, marking his first public apology over the matter.
A letter sent to national football associations, seen by Sky News, shows that Infantino and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström acknowledged the “errors” in the process and offered their “sincere apologies.” The letter was jointly signed by both officials.
This marks the first time Infantino has publicly apologized after previously pushing forward a plan to sell off some commercial rights tied to the World Cup and other tournaments, only to withdraw it amid controversy.
On the same day, FIFA’s leadership held a crisis meeting in Morocco. In a statement released afterward, the FIFA Council reiterated its “full support” for Infantino. FIFA also announced it would review the matter and present a report at the next FIFA Council meeting.
Earlier, FIFA had proposed selling minority stakes in its commercial entities to private investors, aiming to raise around $4.2 billion. The organization claimed the plan could generate over $10 billion in football development funds over the next four years.
But the proposal sparked controversy once it was made public. Several member associations said they had not been consulted during the discussions, and questions were raised about how FIFA went about pushing the plan forward. As criticism mounted, FIFA ultimately withdrew the initiative in early August.
The fallout has put increasing pressure on Infantino. UEFA had previously stated it had “lost confidence” in the current FIFA leadership. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and others also publicly criticized Infantino’s handling of the situation.
Still, Infantino has not chosen to resign. He previously stated that he was elected by FIFA’s 211 member associations, and that any decision about his future should rest with those associations as well.
