FIFA President Gianni Infantino and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström have issued a joint statement following a meeting with the FIFA Management Board in Rabat, Morocco, acknowledging mistakes in the handling of the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project and confirming that the proposal has now been withdrawn.
In the statement addressed to FIFA Vice-Presidents and Council Members, FIFA reaffirmed its confidence in President Infantino’s leadership while emphasizing unity between the President, the Secretary General, and the FIFA Administration after what it described as a successful delivery of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The governing body admitted that errors were made during the development of the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise, particularly in the consultation process with FIFA Council members and Member Associations. It also acknowledged mistakes following the leak of the proposal to the media.
“We sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again,” the statement reads, adding that an internal review will be conducted and its findings presented at the next FIFA Council meeting.
FIFA confirmed that the FFE proposal is now officially off the table and stressed that it will continue supporting football development through the existing FIFA Forward Programme. The organization also stated that while it accepts mistakes were made, all actions taken were in compliance with FIFA’s regulatory framework.
The statement concludes with a pledge to improve governance, strengthen communication within FIFA’s leadership, and continue working with its 211 Member Associations, Confederations, and Regional Associations to develop football worldwide.
The joint statement was signed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström.
