FIFA leadership will hold an emergency meeting in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday, August 5, following widespread backlash over FIFA President Gianni Infantino's World Cup plan. Infantino proposed establishing a special company to resell part of the tournament's hosting rights to private investors.
The proposal triggered boycott threats from European governing body UEFA, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Internal resistance also emerged within FIFA, where Director of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger said withdrawing from the project was absolutely necessary and non-negotiable.
Internal memo urges calm
According to the BBC, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom expressed concern in an internal memo to employees, writing that the past week was difficult to comprehend and accept. Grafstrom urged staff to stay focused on serving football and the organization's 211 member associations in compliance with FIFA statutes, assuring workers they would be protected from the political context and encouraging them to maintain calm and professionalism.
Grafstrom is scheduled to attend the emergency talks in Rabat alongside other FIFA board members. The attending officials include Head of Finance Thomas Peyer, Head of Legal Emilio Garcia Silvero, Chief of Staff Daniel O'Toole, Director of Member Associations Elkhan Mammadov, and Director of Media Relations Bryan Swanson.
