FIFA upheaval deepens as Mattias Grafstrom leaves amid dispute over Infantino plan

FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom has resigned, putting further pressure on president Gianni Infantino after expressing his opposition to a plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.

The Swedish official’s departure follows a week of growing internal unrest at football’s world governing body. The sports section of The New York Times was among those to obtain Grafstrom’s internal letter, in which he criticised Infantino’s proposal and said he had not been informed about it himself.

Grafstrom referred to what he called a “series of regrettable and condemnable events”, although he noted that the situation had ultimately ended with the permanent abandonment of the FIFA Forward Enterprise project.

“The past week has been extraordinary and challenging for all FIFA employees,” Grafstrom wrote in the message to staff.

“That is why I wanted to inform you first. We are all caught up in a chaos that is difficult to understand and accept. I assure you that, as administrators, you will be protected and kept safe in the current political context. You have no reason to worry.”

His comments underline the uncertainty within FIFA after the controversy surrounding the proposed project. Grafstrom said the organisation needed to remain focused despite the turmoil and urged staff to maintain a measured approach.

“Individuals, periods of instability and unfortunate events come and go. The institution, its mission and its responsibility towards world football remain, and that is why we must always maintain our professionalism, our sense of reality and our composure,” he added.

Grafstrom’s resignation places him alongside other senior figures who have challenged Infantino’s plans. FIFA deputy director general Kevin Lamour had already criticised the proposals, while adviser Carlos Cordeiro announced his own resignation as a protest.

The developments mean Infantino is facing increasingly strong criticism from within FIFA, rather than only from outside the organisation. The Swedish secretary general’s decision to leave is the latest sign of tension at senior level.

UEFA is also among those to have threatened legal action, adding to the pressure on FIFA’s president and the governing body.

The FIFA Forward Enterprise project has now been definitively halted, according to Grafstrom’s internal note. However, his decision to resign and the objections raised by other officials have left the plan’s collapse as part of a wider dispute over the direction of FIFA.

Grafstrom sought to reassure employees that the institution itself would endure despite the crisis. He said the organisation’s responsibilities to world football remained unchanged, and that staff should continue to act professionally while the political situation developed.

His departure nevertheless removes one of FIFA’s most senior administrators at a time when Infantino is facing opposition from colleagues, possible legal challenges from UEFA and public scrutiny over plans linked to the commercialisation of the World Cup.