FIFA President Gianni Infantino has withdrawn the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise project, saying the initiative will not move ahead because it has become a source of division within the global football community.
Announcing the decision in a statement released by FIFA Media, Infantino said maintaining unity among FIFA’s Member Associations had become a higher priority than pursuing the proposal.
He explained that the project was originally designed to strengthen FIFA’s Member Associations and provide greater support for football development, particularly in countries where financial and structural assistance is most needed.
The proposal, he noted, was intended to proceed only after extensive consultations with the FIFA Council, continental confederations and other key stakeholders, and with the backing of a majority of FIFA’s Member Associations.
However, after reviewing the feedback received, Infantino concluded that the initiative had generated significant disagreement among stakeholders.
“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” he said.
The FIFA President stressed that the organisation’s core mission is to bring the football world together and promote the game’s development across all regions.
“As a result, this proposal will not proceed,” he announced.
Infantino said he would begin fresh consultations with interested parties in the coming days and weeks to rebuild consensus and explore alternative ways of advancing football development globally.
“My intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that mostly need our support,” he said.
The withdrawal of the proposal marks a significant shift by FIFA’s leadership and signals the organisation’s willingness to step back from major initiatives that risk deepening divisions among its member associations.
