Gianni Infantino remains engaged in efforts to secure his position after holding urgent discussions with senior officials in Rabat on Wednesday.
The Fifa president, who is facing mounting pressure, has spent the past week in Morocco after joining celebrations for Throne Day, marking 27 years since King Mohammed VI took the throne. He is expected to travel to Colombia on Thursday for the inauguration of the country’s incoming president, Abelardo de la Espriella, in Cali.
On Wednesday evening, Infantino attended a Women’s African Cup of Nations fixture at Rabat’s Al Madina Stadium, where he sat beside Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafström. Their joint appearance came one day after an email emerged in which Grafström described the Fifa Forward Enterprise as a “regrettable and troubling sequence of events” to staff at the organisation.
Infantino chose to visit Africa and South America following the controversy surrounding Fifa’s plan to sell a 21% stake in the World Cup. The two regions represent some of his strongest sources of support.
Neither the Confederation of African Football nor Conmebol has joined the Uefa-backed opposition to the proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise sale, and both organisations continue to support Infantino.
Infantino believes Morocco could have an important strategic role in strengthening his support across the Middle East. The region is expected to become a key area in the contest over his re-election in March.
Unlike Caf and Conmebol, the Asian Football Confederation does not cast its votes as a unified group. Infantino must therefore seek backing from individual nations, particularly if Uefa and the North American federation Concacaf identify a rival candidate for next year’s Fifa presidential election. The vote will take place during the organisation’s congress in Rabat.
Little information has been released about Wednesday’s talks, which included Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafström and chief legal officer Emilio García Silvero. However, Infantino is understood to be determined to remain in office.
Reports claimed that Infantino had guaranteed Morocco the right to stage the 2030 World Cup final, part of a tournament it will jointly host with Spain and Portugal, in exchange for help securing support from other countries. Fifa has rejected the allegation.
“Claims that the Fifa president made a commitment concerning the location of the 2030 Fifa World Cup final are inaccurate and misleading,” the organisation said in a statement. “Fifa will make its decision at the appropriate time.”
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