FIFA President Gianni Infantino has faced intense criticism from key football organizations following the collapse of a proposed plan to commercialize the World Cup through a subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The plan, which was reportedly developed in secrecy and brought close to approval, has sparked accusations of governance failures and abuse of presidential power.

FIFA’s executive committee expressed unanimous support for Infantino after a recent summit, praising his longstanding contributions to African football. The governing body acknowledged mistakes related to the shelved proposal and issued an apology to football associations worldwide. FIFA also announced a forthcoming review aimed at addressing the issues highlighted by the controversy.

However, the global union for professional footballers, FIFPRO, strongly condemned both Infantino and the FFE initiative. In a statement, FIFPRO described the abandoned plan as an “abuse of power” that was conceived and negotiated without the knowledge or input of the FIFA council, member associations, players, or other stakeholders. The union underscored that withdrawing the plan does not erase the fundamental breach of trust it revealed, calling instead for urgent governance reforms and structural safeguards.

FIFPRO called for legally binding mechanisms to ensure meaningful engagement with professional football’s stakeholders on major decisions, including granting them voting rights on the FIFA council. The statement emphasized that the crisis was not caused by players and insisted on stronger institutions and leadership capable of regaining the trust of the global football community.

Meanwhile, UEFA voiced a loss of confidence in Infantino’s presidency. The European football body reaffirmed conditions that must be met by the FIFA leadership for its continued participation in FIFA competitions, asserting these remain unmet. UEFA criticized attempts to portray Infantino’s supporters within FIFA as evidence of broad approval, stating this did not change the overall stance.

Adding to the criticism, former Portugal international Luis Figo publicly called Infantino “a relic who should have no part in football’s future,” accusing him of committing “a litany of abuses.” Figo’s remarks underscore the broader dissatisfaction and division within the sport’s leadership over the handling of the World Cup’s governance and commercial rights.

The controversy has exposed deep fissures within football’s global administration, highlighting calls for transparency and accountability in managing the sport’s flagship event. FIFA’s promised review and proposed reforms will be closely watched as stakeholders seek reassurance that such a divisive episode will not recur.