Infantino says he has backing of the 'vast, vast majority' in Baku
Gianni Infantino said in Baku on Friday he has the backing of the "vast, vast majority" of world football and laughed off questions about whether he had considered resigning over the Fifa Forward Enterprise controversy ahead of the Fifa Under-15 World Cup.
In a rare interview the Fifa president struck a defiant tone as he addressed the fallout from the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which he scrapped within days. Two months earlier he had faced growing calls to stand down after the heads of Uefa, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf signed a letter accusing him of breaking trust "through deception". Uefa last week demanded that Fifa release all key documents relating to FFE by 2 November, with Uefa general secretary Theodore Theodoridis saying the organisation had failed to address "a number of fundamental questions". Under FFE a portion of Fifa's commercial rights would have been sold to a private investment firm, and Infantino has proposed increasing football development funding by $3.4bn (£2.6bn).
Since the delivery of the letter Infantino has travelled to Morocco, the Dominican Republic, Cape Verde and Japan as he sought support from member associations. He told the BBC he had been "fully endorsed" by the Asian Football Confederation after a U-turn by its president Sheikh Salman and said he had the backing of "all African countries". The campaign of engagements has, the article reports, helped solidify his position ahead of next year's election for a fourth term.
Infantino apologised to the Fifa Council over the "communication and consultation" regarding FFE and was told by Council members that he was not "fit to be Fifa president" if he did not provide requested documents, including the rationale for FFE. Asked when he would supply the papers he declined to give a clear timetable, saying they had to follow a "legal process" and that they were "working on it". He added: "We'll answer of course all the questions that are asked as far as the process allows, as far as we can," he said.
Speaking from the first Under-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan, Infantino said he and the Fifa administration were doing "as best we can" and acknowledged they had done "some things which are maybe less good". The tournament in Baku features teams from 189 member associations, with England, Spain, France, Argentina and Brazil taking part, and Russia also sent a team, marking the country's first appearance in a Fifa-sanctioned tournament since suspension in February 2022. The event is for boys only this year, will be girls only next year, and Fifa's plan is for boys and girls to compete annually from 2028; matches are played 8v8 on smaller pitches with 20-minute halves. On the tournament he said: "It's just beautiful to bring the world together at such a young age to create something like this."
When asked if he was fit to be Fifa president and whether he had contemplated standing down, Infantino laughed and recalled that he had been elected "by 211 member associations from all over the world." The deadline for any challenger to confirm they are standing against him for the March election is 18 November; according to the report no candidate has yet filed and he could stand unopposed.
