The heads of six Arab football federations expressed their “full support” and “confidence” in Gianni Infantino on Thursday (August 13, 2026) as the embattled FIFA president fights to keep his job after his failed World Cup private investment plan .
“We, the undersigned leaders of our respective football associations, express our full support for Mr. Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, and reaffirm our confidence in his leadership and continued commitment to the development of football worldwide,” the statement read.
He withdrew the $20 billion proposal after a furious backlash by global football officials, including European body UEFA, which has warned of a boycott of all FIFA games and events. And on Thursday (August 13), the Football Association of Ireland said in a statement it has withdrawn its support for Infantino to be re-elected as FIFA president in March, saying “recent events have raised significant concerns regarding governance, transparency and the lack of meaningful consultation. New Zealand Football, which is part of the Oceania confederation, issued a statement Friday (August 14) local time saying it had withdrawn its support for the candidature of Infantino and was seeking an independent review of steps taken to develop the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme.
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The statement said the signatories “look forward to continuing our close cooperation with him towards a stronger and more prosperous future for world football, expanding opportunities and further enhancing Arab football’s contribution to the global game. UEFA teamed up with CONCACAF — the confederation for North, Central America and the Caribbean — and the Asian Football Confederation — and issued an open letter Monday (August 10) saying Infantino’s plan was a “fundamental breach of trust” and described it as “deception. The football federations in England and Wales did the same last week, while Northern Ireland said it was backing UEFA’s stance. New Zealand football’s governing body said it “formed the view that decisions and actions within FIFA have contributed to a breakdown in trust and increased division within international football, and that an independent review is required to restore confidence and trust.