Apology letter revealed after Luis Figo attack, bribery claims over Morocco

Embattled FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defied growing calls to resign, issuing a threat to any future questions over his “integrity”.

However, the 56-year old has issued an apology to FIFA Council members over the ill-fated plan to sell a stake in a new commercial venture that would have taken control of the World Cup and other major tournaments.

The proposal, named the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), was mooted to raise up to $4.2 billion, provide $20 million for all 211 FIFA Member Nations – and net Infantino a $30 million salary.

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The fallout has seen pressure continue to mount on the Swiss administrator, as world football turns its back on its most powerful figure.

The strongest critique of all came from Portuguese great Luis Figo, who described the president’s announcement of the plan as “the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed”.

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Infantino has spent recent weeks in Morocco attempting damage control after the controversial proposal sparked a football civil war led by European body UEFA.

He staged a crisis meeting on Wednesday at FIFA’s African headquarters in Rabat, in which he attempted to convince federation directors he remains the man to lead the world game.

In a letter to member nations following the meeting, which has since been leaked, Infantino and FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafström issued an apology for the proposal.

“In this context, we acknowledge mistakes were made in the process of the proposed establishment of FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE),” the statement reads.

“It was certainly not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and it should have been handled differently. We acknowledge that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media.

“We sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again. With this in mind, we will conduct a necessary review, and a report will be presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting.”

However, the statement also hit back at ongoing criticism of FIFA and Infantion, saying the body would “safeguard its name and reputation” against further attacks.

“With the project withdrawn, FIFA will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation,” it reads.

“There are always lessons to be learned, and we will continue to improve our processes in light of this experience.

“In this instance, however, it is important to stress that, although mistakes were made, everything that was done, was done in full compliance with the FIFA regulatory framework.”

The flood of allegations against the scandal-plagued head of world football is showing no signs of abating.

It has been reported by The Times that Infantino also promised Morocco the 2030 World Cup final if they supported his bid to remain at the helm in the face of intense scrutiny.

The tournament is set to be hosted across six countries, with the bulk of matches to be held in Morocco, Portugal and Spain.

However, the report has been denied, with a FIFA spokesperson telling The Times it was “false and misleading” to claim any promises regarding the 2030 final were made.

He has also reportedly contacted several other member nations to endorse him, with responses ranging from silence – including from former strong backers Saudi Arabia – to outright hostility.

Several UEFA countries, including Wales, Finland, Sweden and Serbia, have withdrawn letters supporting his presidential re-election.

Infantino’s desperation for support also extends to past players, with reports he has attempted to convince “FIFA legends” to support him.

The group, which features some of world football’s most iconic names, have previously been paid by the body to appear at major events.

However, the ploy has thus far been unsuccessful, with Portuguese great and UEFA adviser Luis Figo pulling no punches in a scathing attack on Infantino.

“I could write 10,000 words on the problems at FIFA. But the solution needs only three: Infantino must go,” Figo wrote in The Daily Mail.

“What I have seen exposed in the last 10 days is the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed.”

“The man who would do that – the man who would try to force through such major changes just to enrich himself and his friends – is a relic of the game’s past and should have no part in its future.”

Figo described the plan to sell off a stake in the World Cup to investors as a “grubby, underhand plot”, saying his resignation would come “too late to save his dignity” but “not too late to save football”.

Figo, who ran against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency in January 2015 months before his resignation amid a corruption firestorm, is rumoured to be a potential candidate to replace Infantino.

Canadian prime minister Mark Carney is another to publicly condemn Infantino, mere weeks after his country co-hosted the 2026 World Cup.

Carney said the sell-off plan’s disastrous fallout “should be fatal” for his job.

“Certainly I don’t have confidence in Mr Infantino,” he added.

However, according to a FIFA press release, the federation’s board has “reaffirmed their full support” for Infantino following the meeting, describing it as “constructive and positive”.

“FIFA’s top management is fully confident that the outcomes of today’s meeting will strengthen FIFA’s governance, help restore confidence in the organisation and enable us to prepare for the major events and challenges ahead in a united and transparent manner while continuing our mission to develop the game around the world,” the statement reads.

“The meeting also addressed the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, where mistakes made were acknowledged. It was agreed that it was not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently.

“It was further acknowledged that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media.”

As if Infantino’s public credibility wasn’t already problematic enough, a new report claims he was involved in the infamous European Super League scandal of 2021.

The breakaway competition planned to feature European football’s biggest clubs, but dissolved amid public outcry just weeks after being announced.

According to The Guardian, negotiations were underway to name the competition the “FIFA Super League”, with documents revealing a proposed 12-year partnership between the two bodies, as well as combining their commercial operations in a joint venture.

Following the backlash that saw the tournament abandoned, Infantino said he could “only strongly disapprove the creation of the Super League”.

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