Qatar, Egypt, Morocco  among six Arab football federations backing FIFA's Infantino

Behind-the-scenes political dynamics are shifting within international sports governance as a group of prominent national federations rallies to support leadership amidst growing internal challenges.

As reported by Reuters six Arab national football associations on Thursday have released a joint statement expressing "full support" and "confidence" in FIFA President Gianni Infantino, with the game's world governing body in crisis following a failed private investment plan.

Notably, four of these association leaders also serve as FIFA Council members.

The backing comes from Qatar (2022 World Cup host), Morocco (2030 World Cup co-host), Egypt, Mauritania, Lebanon, and Sudan.

Infantino has been facing an open revolt and pressure following widespread backlash over his controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors.

The controversy sparked after major confederations like UEFA, the AFC, and CONCACAF have pushed back against the proposal, putting the FIFA president under intense political strain ahead of upcoming election cycles.

The Arab federations praised Infantino’s global development initiatives and efforts to expand opportunities across all regions, emphasizing a commitment to continued close cooperation.

The statement from the Arab federations underscores a deepening political divide within FIFA's voting structure. As detailed by 1news.az, Qatar and Lebanon are both members of the AFC, meaning they have publicly broken ranks with their own confederation's official stance against Infantino.

The revolt was triggered by a now-abandoned plan driven by Infantino to sell a 20% stake in a new entity managing FIFA's commercial rights to private equity investors for approximately $4.2 billion.

Despite the plan promising $20 million in development funding for each member association during the next cycle, it was ultimately withdrawn after facing fierce global opposition.