Morocco, Sudan and Mauritania lead Arab backing for Gianni Infantino as FIFA crisis deepens

Morocco has emerged as one of the key Arab allies of Gianni Infantino, with six national football associations publicly backing the FIFA president despite mounting opposition to his leadership.

The Moroccan Football Federation, alongside the associations of Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan and Mauritania, issued a joint statement on Thursday expressing “full support” for Infantino and reaffirming their confidence in his leadership.

The show of solidarity comes as the FIFA president faces growing pressure following his controversial attempt to secure private investment in the governing body’s competitions. Infantino is seeking another term next year but has encountered open resistance from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF, which have criticised his handling of the failed investment plan and called for him to step down.

Morocco among Infantino’s strongest Arab allies

Morocco’s support carries particular significance as the country prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa is also a member of the FIFA Council, putting him among the influential figures within the organisation’s decision-making structure.

Four of the six federation chiefs who signed Thursday’s statement sit on the FIFA Council. They are Qatar’s Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Egypt’s Hany Abo Rida, Lekjaa and Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya.

“Recognising the important role of Arab football in bringing people together and strengthening cooperation among football associations across the Arab world, we … express our full support for Mr Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, and ⁠reaffirm our confidence in his leadership and continued commitment to the development of football worldwide,” the statement said.

The six associations also praised Infantino’s contribution to the global development of the sport and called for continued cooperation.

“We deeply appreciate Mr Infantino’s sustained efforts to advance football globally, expand opportunities across all regions and strengthen the game’s role in bringing people and communities together,” they said.

Investment plan triggers FIFA backlash

Infantino’s troubles intensified after he proposed separating the commercial rights to the World Cup and selling a 20% stake to private investors. The plan was projected to generate around $4.2 billion but was withdrawn after widespread opposition.

The proposal had also been linked to a $20 million grant for each FIFA member association during the next funding cycle, with the amount potentially doubling for associations that agreed to the investment arrangement.

The controversy has exposed divisions between FIFA’s leadership and several confederations, with UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF among those voicing their opposition.

FIFA held a crisis meeting in Morocco last week, after which the organisation apologised to its 211 member associations for mistakes in the handling of the proposal and said Infantino retained the full backing of FIFA’s leadership.

Ireland withdraws support

The pressure increased further on Thursday when Ireland became the latest country to withdraw its support for Infantino.

“Following an FAI Board Meeting, the decision was taken to rescind the letter of support that the association supplied earlier this year. It has since written to FIFA to explain its reasoning,” the Football Association of Ireland said.

“The association is grateful for the support that FIFA provides to Irish football, but recent events have raised significant concerns regarding governance, transparency and the lack of meaningful consultation.”

Despite the opposition from three confederations representing 136 of FIFA’s 211 members, the backing from the six Arab associations suggests national federations may not necessarily follow the positions of their respective confederations.

The Confederation of African Football has also backed Infantino.

With each national association holding one vote, Infantino would need 106 votes for a simple majority if he faces only one challenger in next year’s election. If three or more candidates contest the presidency, he would require 141 votes, or two-thirds, in the first round.