Six Arab football associations back Infantino amid FIFA investment crisis

Heads of six Arab national football associations, including Qatar and 2030 World Cup co-host Morocco, have voiced their support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino as the governing body faces growing turmoil over his failed plan to bring private investment into its competitions.

Infantino, who is seeking another term next year, has faced mounting opposition after three confederations — UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF — criticised his leadership and called for his resignation over the abandoned investment proposal, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

The Swiss administrator had sought to separate the commercial rights to the World Cup and sell a 20% stake to private investors, potentially raising around $4.2 billion. He later reversed course following widespread criticism.

In a joint statement, the six federation presidents said they “express our full support for Mr Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, and reaffirm our confidence in his leadership and continued commitment to the development of football worldwide.”

The statement was signed by Qatar Football Association president Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Egypt Football Association president Hany Abo Rida, and the heads of the Lebanese, Moroccan, Sudanese and Mauritanian football associations.

Four of the six signatories — Al Thani, Abo Rida, Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa and Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya — are also members of the FIFA Council.

“We deeply appreciate Mr Infantino’s sustained efforts to advance football globally, expand opportunities across all regions and strengthen the game’s role in bringing people and communities together,” they said.

“We look forward to continuing our close cooperation with him towards a stronger and more prosperous future for world football, expanding opportunities and further enhancing Arab football’s contribution to the global game.”

The statement follows a crisis meeting held in Morocco last week, after which FIFA apologised to its 211 member associations for mistakes in the way the investment proposal had been handled. The organisation also said its leadership retained full backing for Infantino.

Although UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF represent 136 of FIFA’s 211 member associations, their opposition does not automatically translate into a unified voting bloc. Each national federation has one vote, making coordinated voting by confederations unlikely.

Infantino also retains support from other parts of world football. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has publicly backed his presidency.

The Swiss would need 106 votes for a simple majority if he faces only one challenger in next year’s election. If three or more candidates compete, he would need a two-thirds majority — 141 votes — in the first round.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov