Infantino and Grafström Address Internal Crisis with Apology

Infantino and Grafström Address Internal Crisis with Apology

Date: August 6, 2026

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has successfully navigated a turbulent period within the organization's leadership following a crisis meeting held in Morocco. In a letter addressed to FIFA vice presidents and Council members, Infantino and Secretary General Mattias Grafström acknowledged mistakes related to a failed investor deal and committed to making improvements. The letter has been obtained by Sportschau.

Prior to this meeting, Grafström reportedly distanced himself from Infantino in an internal communication, although he did not mention him by name. In this correspondence, the Swedish official described a "sad and reprehensible series of events" which concluded with the abandonment of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project.

Reinforcing Mutual Support

In their recent letter, Infantino and Grafström emphasized their mutual backing, stating, "To eliminate any doubts, the FIFA Secretary General and the attending board members reaffirm their full support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino as the sole official elected by the 211 FIFA member associations." In return, Infantino expressed his support for the Secretary General and FIFA's administration.

Mistakes were acknowledged regarding the proposed subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, and the planned sale of shares. The letter noted, "It was certainly not our intention to make the FIFA Council and FIFA member organizations feel excluded from the process."

A Sincere Apology

Infantino and Grafström also admitted to errors that occurred after the plans were leaked to the press. "We sincerely apologize for these mistakes and promise that they will not happen again. In light of this, we will conduct a necessary review and present a report to the FIFA Council at its next meeting."

In addition to their apology, the FIFA leaders took a proactive stance, warning critics that with the investor deal off the table, FIFA would not tolerate attacks on its integrity, good governance, and proper procedures. They vowed to take necessary measures to protect the organization's name and reputation.

No Signs of Resignation

Despite the significant backlash regarding the investor deal, which reportedly involved a lack of communication with the FIFA Council and key advisors, speculation about Infantino's potential resignation seems unfounded. Infantino remains steadfast in his position.

On Instagram, Infantino shared a photo of himself and Grafström giving thumbs up, stating, "We firmly believe that the results of today’s meeting will strengthen FIFA’s governance structures and help restore trust in the organization."