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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called a meeting of the organization's senior leadership in Rabat, Morocco, following growing criticism of his proposed plan to transfer FIFA's commercial and event operations into a new entity known as FIFA Forward Enterprise.
The meeting comes after several high-profile figures within football publicly distanced themselves from the proposal. Among them were FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger, Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom, and Jordan Football Association President Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, all of whom expressed concerns about the project.
According to FIFA, Wenger said abandoning the proposal was "absolutely necessary and beyond question." The former Arsenal manager stated that he had not been involved in developing the plan and only became aware of it through media reports.
In a statement, Wenger said he believes FIFA should remain an independent organization that operates with commitment, transparency and integrity. His comments marked a notable shift, given that he had previously supported Infantino's proposal to hold the men's FIFA World Cup every two years.
Wenger is also among 18 FIFA officials named in a document preservation request sent by UEFA as part of its threat of legal action over the matter.
The investment proposal has already claimed one resignation. Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino's senior adviser on global strategy and governance, stepped down after describing the project as "a bad deal for football" that would mortgage the sport's future.
Prince Ali also criticized FIFA's leadership, accusing the governing body of withholding prize money owed to Jordan after the national team finished as runners-up at the FIFA Arab Cup. In a post on X, he claimed he was told during the World Cup that publicly endorsing Infantino's re-election would improve the chances of Jordan receiving assistance.
He rejected the suggestion, saying Jordan would not compromise its ethical values. Prince Ali described the alleged situation as "blackmail" and said the country's football association would not give in to such pressure. He also alleged that some Jordanian supporters were denied visas to travel to the United States for the country's first FIFA World Cup appearance.
Grafstrom, widely regarded as one of Infantino's closest allies, also criticized the controversy in an internal message to FIFA staff. He described the past week as "a sad and reproachable series of events" and acknowledged that many employees had been caught in an unsettling situation.
Despite the turmoil, Grafstrom encouraged staff to remain focused on FIFA's mission of serving its 211 member associations. He assured employees they would be protected from the political tensions surrounding the controversy and urged them to maintain professionalism as the organization works through the crisis.
