Six Arab football federations publicly rallied behind FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Thursday, even as the organization reels from fallout over a scrapped private investment plan.
The joint statement came from Qatar, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan and Mauritania. Qatar and Morocco are notable because Morocco is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup. Four of the six signatories also sit on the FIFA Council: Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar, Egypt’s Hany Abo Rida, Morocco’s Fouzi Lekjaa, and Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya.
In the statement, the group praised Infantino’s efforts to grow the game globally and expand opportunities, and said they have “full support” for his leadership.
The show of backing arrives at a tense moment. Infantino is seeking reelection next year, but three major confederations — UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF — criticized his proposal to sell 20% of the World Cup’s commercial rights to private investors to raise about $4.2 billion. After pushback, FIFA dropped the plan.
The Swiss administrator had also tied a $20 million grant to member associations to the deal, with the potential to double it if they signed on. Following a crisis meeting in Morocco last week, FIFA apologized to its 211 members for how the proposal was handled and said the leadership stands fully behind Infantino.
The dissent isn’t fading. Ireland announced Thursday it was pulling its earlier letter of support, citing concerns about governance, transparency and consultation.
Despite pressure from confederations representing 136 votes, Infantino still has a base. The Confederation of African Football has also backed him. With each national federation holding one vote, the Swiss would need 106 votes for a simple majority in a two-candidate race, or 141 votes for a two-thirds majority in the first round if there are three or more candidates.
The Arab statement signals that bloc voting is unlikely, even though many of the signatories belong to the AFC, which had earlier expressed disappointment with the investment plan.
