FIFA governance debate set to outlive Morocco truce despite backing for Infantino

Aug 6 : FIFA's bid to move past the biggest internal crisis of Gianni Infantino's reign is unlikely to end scrutiny of how world soccer is governed as questions linger on whether promised reforms will lead to meaningful change before the 2027 presidential election.

A day after FIFA's leadership gathered in Rabat to publicly reaffirm support for Infantino, the governing body apologised to its 211 members for mistakes surrounding the abandoned proposal to sell a slice of the World Cup's commercial future.

FIFA also pledged to review the processes that led to the controversy that sparked the fiercest revolt of Infantino's tenure after national federations complained they had been sidelined.

In a statement issued after Wednesday's meeting, FIFA acknowledged that the proposal "should have been handled differently" and said it was not their intention for the FIFA Council or associations to feel excluded from the process.

FIFA REVIEW

As the dust settles, a review will now be conducted before a report is presented to the Council at its next meeting and the conciliatory tone marked a stark contrast with the increasingly public criticism that forced FIFA into retreat.

However, FIFA can no longer dodge questions raised by several confederations, leagues and national associations over how major strategic decisions are made and communicated, and the concerns extend beyond the doomed commercial rights proposal.

European Leagues criticised FIFA over what it described as an unrealistically short four-week assessment timeline on a separate proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams.

The body, which represents over 1,300 European clubs, reinforced complaints that stakeholders are too often presented with decisions rather than