Rabat – FIFA has officially withdrawn its proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise project after determining that it had become a source of division among member associations, despite receiving support from many stakeholders.
In a statement released on Friday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the initiative was originally designed to strengthen FIFA’s member associations and accelerate football development around the world, particularly in countries that require greater financial and structural support.
Infantino stressed that the project was always intended to move forward only with the backing of a majority of FIFA’s member associations and following extensive consultations with the FIFA Council, continental confederations, and other football stakeholders.
However, after listening to feedback from across the global football community, FIFA concluded that the proposal had created divisions that outweighed its intended benefits.
“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,” Infantino said.
He reiterated that FIFA’s mission remains centered on unity and the development of the sport.
“Our purpose has always been – and will always be – to unite and improve,” the FIFA president added.
As a result, FIFA confirmed that the Forward Enterprise proposal will not proceed.
Looking ahead, Infantino said he plans to bring together all interested parties in the coming days and weeks to continue discussions on how to support the global growth of football while preserving unity within the international football community.
He emphasized that FIFA remains committed to expanding opportunities for the sport worldwide, with particular attention to member associations in developing football nations that depend most on FIFA’s support.
