Infantino Survives Crisis After World Cup Sales Fiasco

The under-fire president apologised for "mistakes" made in a failed attempt to sell a stake in the World Cup, a proposal that sparked backlash after national associations complained they had been excluded from discussions and pressured with a tight mid-September deadline and a £30.1m incentive.

After the leaked proposals triggered widespread criticism, FIFA withdrew them on Saturday. In a joint letter to associations, Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafstrom acknowledged errors in how member associations were handled throughout the process.

The governing body released a separate statement warning it would "no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process", pledging measures to protect its reputation.

High-profile figures had distanced themselves from Infantino ahead of the crisis meeting. Chief of global football development Arsene Wenger spoke out publicly, whilst his senior advisor Carlos Cordeiro resigned, calling the plan a "bad deal". UEFA declared it had "lost confidence" in current FIFA leadership, and the FA demanded a full review.

Criticism continued during the Morocco talks, with legend Luis Figo describing Infantino's actions as "the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour", according to reports.

Despite the pressure, FIFA committed to conducting a review of the fiasco, with findings to be presented at the next FIFA Council meeting comprising 37 national representatives.