Doha: Six heads of Arab national football associations, including Qatar and Morocco, have voiced their support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as the football governing body faces turmoil following a failed private investment initiative. Infantino, aiming for reelection next year, has come under fire after UEFA, the AFC, and CONCACAF criticized his attempt to bring private investment into FIFA competitions and urged him to resign.

According to TRTworld.com, Infantino's proposal involved selling 20 percent of the commercial rights to the World Cup to private investors, a move intended to raise approximately $4.2 billion. However, he reversed the decision following widespread backlash. The heads of the six federations, including Qatar's Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Morocco's Fouzi Lekjaa, expressed their full support for Infantino in a joint statement, emphasizing the role of Arab football in fostering unity and cooperation.

The statement was endorsed by the heads of national federations from Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, and Mauritania. Notably, four of the signatories are FIFA Council members. The federations acknowledged Infantino's efforts to promote football globally and strengthen the sport's role in uniting communities. They also expressed their intention to continue collaborating with him for the future prosperity of world football.

Despite the backing from these Arab federations, Infantino has faced challenges as some countries, including Ireland, have retracted their support. The Football Association of Ireland cited concerns over governance, transparency, and lack of consultation in a recent statement. This withdrawal follows a crisis meeting in Morocco where FIFA apologized for mishandling the proposal and reaffirmed its leadership's support for Infantino.

Infantino's initial plan included a $20 million grant for member associations, potentially doubling if they agreed to the proposal. Despite opposition from 136 member associations represented by the three dissenting confederations, Infantino still holds substantial support globally. The Confederation of African Football has also backed him, and the support from the six national federations suggests that achieving block voting is improbable.

For Infantino to win the upcoming presidential election, he would need a simple majority of 106 votes if facing a single rival. However, if there are three or more candidates, he would require a two-thirds majority, equating to 141 votes, in the first round of voting.