According to Sky News and The Times, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has convened a number of FIFA officials for a crisis meeting scheduled for Wednesday in Rabat, the capital of Morocco.
According to Sky News, the specific agenda of the meeting is still unclear, while The Times, citing sources, said that Infantino summoned staff to Rabat in an effort to "fight for power."
The pressure on the FIFA president is mounting. After facing strong protests, Gianni Infantino withdrew his plan to generate €1 billion by selling off some of FIFA's commercial rights, particularly those related to the World Cup. Infantino's proposal shocked the world, and UEFA also harshly criticized the Swiss national. The FIFA president ultimately backed down. Now, the future of Infantino, who has been at the helm of the world's football governing body since 2016, is being discussed.
Elections will be held next year. According to the statutes, if all goes well, Infantino hopes to make a final bid for a four-year term as president at the 77th FIFA Congress in Rabat on March 18, 2027. However, opposition is growing.
Despite still having some support from football associations, a rebellion has begun. UEFA has threatened legal action over the failed investment deal. Wales, England, Serbia, and Sweden have already indicated they will withdraw their support for Infantino in next year's elections.
Former coach and current FIFA executive Arsène Wenger has recently distanced himself from Gianni Infantino. Wenger stated that abandoning the controversial investment deal was "absolutely necessary," adding that he was unaware of the plan beforehand: "I wasn't involved in this strategic plan; I only learned about it through media reports." Wenger currently serves as FIFA's Director of Global Football Development. His statement came after his name appeared in a letter from UEFA's lawyers to Infantino, in which UEFA requested FIFA to preserve data and communications records of 18 executives as potential evidence.
