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Gianni Infantino is facing the biggest crisis of his decade-long FIFA presidency with senior figures publicly distancing themselves, a former FIFA presidential rival levelling explosive blackmail allegations and World Cup host cities reportedly still waiting on millions in promised funding.<\/p>\n
Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n The FIFA president has been under intense pressure since abandoning plans to sell a stake in a new commercial entity that would have controlled the World Cup and Club World Cup, following fierce backlash from UEFA and football associations around the world.<\/p>\n The proposal, which valued the new FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) at around US$20 billion and sought private investment worth up to US$4.2 billion, collapsed within days after UEFA threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions, including the men\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\n The fallout intensified on Tuesday when former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, FIFA\u2019s chief of global football development since 2019, publicly backed the decision to scrap the proposal.<\/p>\n \u201cThe decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question,\u201d Wenger said, adding he had not been involved in developing the plan.<\/p>\n The criticism was followed by an extraordinary internal email from FIFA secretary-general Mattias Grafstrom, obtained by AFP, in which one of Infantino\u2019s closest collaborators described the episode as \u201ca sad and reproachable series of events.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndividuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go,\u201d Grafstrom wrote.<\/p>\n Pressure grows on Infantino and FIFA | 00:52<\/p>\n \u201cThe institution, its mission and its responsibility towards world football continue.\u201d<\/p>\n The comments have fuelled growing speculation Infantino has lost the confidence of senior figures inside FIFA just months before he seeks re-election for what would be a fourth and final term in March. Reports claim he has now called a crisis meeting with FIFA staff in Morocco.<\/p>\n Several UEFA member associations, including Wales, Finland, Sweden and Serbia, have already withdrawn their letters supporting Infantino\u2019s re-election, while England is reportedly considering following suit.<\/p>\n Although FIFA has shelved the investment proposal, UEFA is continuing to explore legal action over what it labelled a \u201cshabby, backroom, opaque deal\u201d, with lawyers instructing FIFA to preserve all documents and communications relating to the FFE plan.<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/b><\/p>\n IRANKUNDA MOVE NEARING: $26m twist as fresh bid lodged for Socceroos star<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n CIRCATI DRAWS MAJOR INTEREST: Italian giants move to sign Socceroos World Cup star<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n JORDANIAN FA CHIEF ACCUSES FIFA OF \u2018BLACKMAIL\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n The pressure on Infantino intensified further on Tuesday after Jordan Football Association president Prince Ali bin Hussein accused FIFA of attempting to pressure his federation into supporting the embattled president\u2019s re-election campaign.<\/p>\n Prince Ali, who unsuccessfully challenged both Sepp Blatter and Infantino for the FIFA presidency, claimed Jordan was verbally told that endorsing Infantino \u201cwould go a long way\u201d towards resolving several outstanding issues involving the federation.<\/p>\n Spurs win in Sydney | 01:15<\/p>\n Those included unpaid prize money from Jordan\u2019s run to last year\u2019s FIFA Arab Cup final, visa issues that prevented supporters from attending the country\u2019s World Cup matches in the United States despite holding tickets, and concerns over taxation on the nation\u2019s World Cup prize money.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have been waiting for reward money for our players since December for the Arab Cup in Qatar, which is a FIFA event,\u201d Prince Ali wrote in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cThe money our team should receive for having reached the final has not been delivered yet, while at the same time FIFA brags about how many billions they have in reserve.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is clear the problem really is with leadership.<\/p>\n \u201cFor months, FIFA has been refusing to help us on any of these or other matters until it was verbally communicated to me during the World Cup that if I endorsed Infantino it would go a long way to helping our FA out.<\/p>\n \u201cWe did not endorse him before and certainly will not now. The whole situation amounts to blackmail and we refuse to give in to that.\u201d<\/p>\n HOST CITIES STILL WAITING FOR PROMISED PAYMENTS<\/b><\/p>\n Further questions have also emerged over FIFA\u2019s financial commitments, with multiple United States host cities reportedly still waiting on promised legacy payments following last year\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\n