The Saudi Football Federation settles its stance on supporting Infantino in an official statement
He welcomed his withdrawal of the "FIFA Forward Enterprise" proposal
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation has declared its backing for FIFA president Gianni Infantino ahead of the elections in Morocco in March 2027.
Meeting today, Thursday, the board welcomed the joint statement from Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafström. That statement acknowledged an error and confirmed FIFA would not proceed with the "FIFA Forward Enterprise" proposal, while committing to a review of the procedures behind it.
In an official statement, the board praised the pledge to learn from events and to press ahead with developing procedures and communication mechanisms, strengthening governance and tackling the challenges ahead in a spirit of unity and transparency.
Turning those commitments into practical steps, it affirmed, lays an important foundation for building trust, particularly given the differing viewpoints within international football. That, the board said, only underlines the need to widen dialogue and pursue direct, constructive communication between the various parties working to develop the game worldwide.
Football's continued growth demands a united international system and the combined efforts of all its parties, the board stressed. It called for stronger dialogue between FIFA and the continental and national federations to bring viewpoints closer together, insisting the interests of the game, its players and its fans must stay at the top of the agenda.
As a national federation and a member of the Asian Football Confederation, the Saudi body noted its appreciation for the role of president Sheikh Salman Al Khalifa in serving Asian football, and vowed to continue that fruitful cooperation. The federation also declared itself ready to support every effort to enhance dialogue, consensus and the unity of the international football family.
The Saudi federation supports Infantino
With that in mind, the board renewed its support and appreciation for the work Infantino has done over nearly a decade to strengthen the unity of the football family, develop and grow the game and expand its global reach, serving the interests of all parties and meeting the aspirations of players and fans around the world.
It also pointed to the shining successes of the last three World Cups, which brought the international football system together as one.
