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Gianni Infantino has called an emergency FIFA leadership meeting in Morocco after growing criticism over the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
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FIFA president Gianni Infantino is attempting to regain control of the growing crisis surrounding world football's governing body after calling an emergency meeting of FIFA's senior leadership in Rabat, Morocco.
The meeting comes after the collapse of the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise project, which proposed selling a stake in FIFA's commercial rights and sparked fierce opposition from UEFA, national associations and influential figures within FIFA itself.
Top FIFA officials question the project
Criticism has not come only from outside the organization.
Several senior FIFA figures have publicly distanced themselves from the proposal, including Arsène Wenger, FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, secretary general Mattias Grafström and Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, president of the Jordan Football Association.
According to reports, the emergency meeting in Rabat will also include FIFA's top executives responsible for finance, legal affairs and communications.
Only one resignation so far
Until now, only Carlos Cordeiro, one of Infantino's senior advisers, has resigned over the controversial project.
Cordeiro described the proposal as "a bad deal for football that jeopardizes its future," becoming the first high-profile casualty of the crisis.
Wenger demands transparency
Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger insisted he had no involvement in developing the proposal and learned about it only after media reports emerged.
Following FIFA's decision to withdraw the project, Wenger described the move as "necessary and irrefutable."
He also called for greater transparency, independence and integrity within FIFA, stressing that the governing body must always act in the interests of football.
Wenger is also among the 18 FIFA officials named in UEFA's legal warning to the organization.
Prince Ali makes serious accusation
One of the strongest criticisms has come from Prince Ali, who accused FIFA of attempting to pressure member associations politically.
According to the Jordanian football chief, FIFA withheld prize money owed to Jordan for qualifying for the Arab Cup, while unofficially suggesting the payment would be released if support was given to Infantino's re-election campaign.
Prince Ali rejected what he described as unacceptable pressure and argued that the real problem lies within FIFA's current leadership.
Even Infantino's closest ally speaks out
Secretary general Mattias Grafström, previously regarded as one of Infantino's closest allies, also acknowledged the seriousness of the situation.
In an internal message to FIFA employees, he described the past week's events as "sad and condemnable" and urged staff to remain focused on their professional responsibilities despite the political turmoil surrounding the organization.
With UEFA continuing to push for governance reforms and pressure growing from both inside and outside FIFA, the emergency meeting in Morocco could become one of the most important gatherings of Infantino's presidency.