UEFA said they had lost confidence in Infantino after his controversial plan [Getty]
The Moroccan and Egyptian football associations on Saturday praised a decision by FIFA to scrap their controversial plan to allow private investment in the World Cup.
Embattled FIFA president Gianni Infantino was forced into a humiliating climbdown on Friday after strong backlash against the idea from European football governing body UEFA and several other confederations.
On Tuesday, FIFA announced plans to create a commercial subsidiary to run its biggest events, including the World Cup and Club World Cup, with this body open to private investment which Infantino said could raise $4.2 billion.
UEFA led opposition to FIFA’s plan, saying they would boycott all FIFA competitions and had lost confidence in Infantino, who has come under heavy pressure in recent days.
However, both the Moroccan and Egyptian football associations said they still supported Infantino.
This comes weeks after the FIFA World Cup ended, with Spain winning the 2026 title after beating Argentina.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMR) and the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) both released statements on Saturday welcoming Infantino’s decision.
In a statement, the FRMR confirmed that its president, Fouzi Lekjaa, welcomed Infantino’s decision, viewing the withdrawal of the project as a move that serves the interests of the global football family.
“What has been achieved in recent years through FIFA’s development programmes, particularly in Africa, represents an important accomplishment that must be preserved, to the benefit of all member associations,” it said in a statement.
In its own statement later Saturday, EFA said: “The Egyptian Football Association, under the presidency of Hany Abo Rida, commends FIFA president Gianni Infantino for his decision to withdraw the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal following the observations and views he received from FIFA member associations.”
The association said it renews its full confidence in Infantino’s leadership and affirms its continued support for any initiatives that serve the interests of FIFA and world football.
Morocco were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup by a 2-0 defeat by France in the quarterfinals, but host the next edition in 2030 with Spain and Portugal.
Egypt reached the Round of 16 at the tournament – their best-ever World Cup performance – but were eliminated by Argentina, losing 3-2 after surrendering a 2-0 lead in the closing stages.
Egypt’s dramatic exit from the World Cup against Argentina had triggered an outpouring of anger from fans, players and coaching staff, who raised several grievances, including allegations of referee bias and a “rigging” of the result in Argentina’s favour.