Fifa has issued a forceful statement defending president Gianni Infantino against what it characterizes as coordinated efforts to undermine him, while denying personal allegations and addressing growing criticism over a failed commercial proposal.

Fifa has responded sharply to escalating criticism of president Gianni Infantino, issuing a statement on Saturday that characterizes recent attacks as part of a "concerted and ongoing effort" to damage both the organisation and its leadership. The organization denied allegations reported by the Daily Telegraph regarding Infantino's personal conduct while he worked at Uefa, with a Fifa spokesperson stating the claims are "categorically untrue" and that Infantino "strongly denies" them. Fifa went further to criticize what it termed "unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims," cautioning against presenting speculation as established fact.

Infantino's position has been challenged primarily by European football bodies following the failure of his proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise initiative. The abandoned plan would have created a new commercial entity with 21% ownership transferred to private investors. Uefa has withdrawn its confidence in Infantino and threatened to boycott Fifa events, while Norway's football federation president called for his resignation. However, Infantino maintains significant backing from other regions. The Mexican Football Federation and South America's Conmebol have publicly supported him, as has the African confederation Caf, which unanimously backs the president.

In its statement, Fifa defended Infantino's democratic election by member associations and argued that opposition figures "should not seek to achieve through allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through Fifa's established democratic processes." The organization maintained it welcomes legitimate scrutiny but rejected what it characterized as factual distortions. Infantino has scheduled a Fifa management board meeting in Rabat for Wednesday to address ongoing concerns.