Embattled FIFA chief Infantino in emergency talks, suffers Figo blow

His bid to serve a fourth and final term appeared likely to be rubber-stamped in Rabat next March. Then, last Tuesday, everything changed.(AFP) — President Gianni Infantino held emergency talks with other FIFA directors in Morocco on Wednesday, a source told AFP, amid a wave of criticism over his now-shelved plan to open the World Cup to private investment.Infantino has come under increasing pressure, including from within FIFA, over his handling of the proposal. Calls for him to step down have grown since he abandoned it Saturday.Infantino reportedly sought support from former players known as “FIFA Legends.”However, his plea fell on deaf ears with one of them, former Barcelona and Real Madrid star Luis Figo, who delivered a blunt message: “Go.”“I could write 10,000 words on the problems at FIFA. But the solution needs only three: Infantino must go,” Figo wrote in the Daily Mail on Wednesday.“Believe me, I have met some rogues in my time in the game.“But what I have seen exposed in the last 10 days is the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behavior I have ever witnessed.“The man who would do that — the man who would try to force through such major changes just to enrich himself and his friends — is a relic of the game’s past and should have no part in its future.”One of those believed to be attending the meeting was FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom, whose internal email criticizing the plan was leaked Tuesday.Infantino, a 56-year-old Swiss lawyer, was holding the meeting at FIFA’s Africa regional office in Sale, near Rabat. He was in Morocco to celebrate last week’s Feast of the Enthronement.Morocco is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup, and Moroccan football chief Fouzi Lekjaa is among the few officials to have publicly supported Infantino since his humiliating climbdown.Lekjaa on Saturday praised Infantino’s “wise” decision to scrap the plan in the interests of “unity and cohesion.”He reiterated his backing for Infantino and “all the initiatives aimed at the development of world football” during his 10 years in charge.Infantino had been basking in the afterglow of a highly successful World Cup — the largest ever, with 48 teams and three co-hosts: Canada, Mexico and the United States.His bid to serve a fourth and final term appeared likely to be rubber-stamped in Rabat next March, with no challenger having emerged.Then, last Tuesday, everything changed.FIFA, world football’s governing body, unveiled the proposal, saying it could raise up to $4.2 billion based on a $20 billion valuation of a new commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, or FFE. Under the plan, FFE would oversee events including the World Cup and Club World Cup.FIFA said the project, if approved, could provide each of its 211 member associations with a one-time payment of $20 million in early 2027 and increase funding allocations for the 2027-30 cycle from $8 million to $20 million.‘Sad and reproachable’Instead of serving as a sweetener, the proposal sparked a furious backlash. European football’s governing body, UEFA, resorted Thursday to the nuclear option, threatening to boycott the World Cup.By Saturday, Infantino had withdrawn the proposal.“Our purpose has always been — and will always be — to unite and improve,” Infantino said.If he hoped that would be enough to shore up his authority, it was not.UEFA called the proposal a “shabby, back-room, opaque deal” hatched by Infantino.“The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family,” UEFA said in a statement.North and Central American football’s governing body, CONCACAF, went further, calling for “a comprehensive reckoning with this presidency” while criticizing Infantino’s “poor governance and leadership.”Grafstrom’s leaked email only added fuel to the fire.He described the controversy surrounding the proposal as “a sad and reproachable series of events.”He added: “Individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go. The institution, its mission and its responsibility toward world football continue.”Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads