Leaders of six Arab football federations voiced full support and confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Thursday. The move comes as he seeks to retain his position following the withdrawal of a plan to sell private stakes in the World Cup.
The statement was issued by the federations of Morocco, Qatar, Egypt, Mauritania, Lebanon and Sudan. Four of the signatories serve on the FIFA council.
The joint statement said the leaders express full support for Infantino and reaffirm confidence in his leadership and commitment to global football development. It praised his work to advance the sport worldwide, create opportunities in all regions and use football to unite communities.
The signatories said they look forward to continued cooperation toward a stronger future for world football and greater Arab contributions to the game.
Infantino faces opposition after proposing to sell shares in the World Cup to private investors. He withdrew the roughly 20 billion dollar plan after strong criticism from officials including UEFA, which threatened a boycott of FIFA events.
UEFA joined with CONCACAF and the AFC to issue an open letter describing the proposal as a breach of trust. Qatar and Lebanon, by backing Infantino, took a stance at odds with the AFC. Several federations including Morocco, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have sent letters of support.
The four FIFA council members among the signatories were the presidents of the Qatar, Egypt, Morocco and Mauritania federations. The remaining two were the presidents of the Lebanon and Sudan associations.
