The Qatar Football Association has declared its full support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, despite opposition from the European federation to a FIFA proposal and calls for the Swiss official to resign.
In a statement published on its X account, the Qatar Football Association said it supported Infantino’s continuing efforts to develop and grow football around the world.
The organisation said its position reflected its backing for the FIFA president’s work at a time when his proposal for FIFA Forward Enterprise had faced resistance within the international football community.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, president of the Qatar Football Association, welcomed Infantino’s decision not to proceed with the proposal, saying that move served the wider interests of the international football community.
The statement said the proposal had contained some ideas that deserved consideration and study. However, Sheikh Hamad also praised FIFA’s decision to withdraw it, arguing that preserving the unity and continuity of all member national associations should be the immediate priority.
The Qatar Football Association said: “We affirm in the Qatar Football Association our full support for President Infantino’s continuing efforts to develop and grow football around the world.”
Its declaration places Qatar in support of Infantino while the proposal has generated opposition elsewhere in European football.
The European federation had announced its opposition to FIFA Forward Enterprise and decided to boycott the World Cup, while also calling for Infantino to resign.
Qatar’s statement focused on the importance of maintaining unity among FIFA’s member national associations. It also acknowledged that elements of the proposal could merit further examination, while endorsing the decision not to move ahead with it at this stage.
The Qatar Football Association said the withdrawal represented a way of protecting the cohesion of the international football community. Its message combined support for Infantino’s wider leadership with approval of his decision to abandon the contested proposal.
Infantino, who is Swiss, is the president of FIFA, football’s international governing body. The Qatar Football Association’s statement specifically praised his ongoing efforts to develop the game globally rather than addressing the European federation’s demand for his resignation.
The dispute has therefore produced contrasting positions among football authorities. While the European federation has opposed the FIFA proposal, announced a decision to boycott the World Cup and called on Infantino to step down, the Qatar Football Association has publicly reaffirmed its confidence in him.
Qatar’s football governing body concluded by restating its “full support” for Infantino and his efforts to advance the sport worldwide. Its backing came alongside its approval of the decision to stop the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal from progressing, with the unity of FIFA’s national associations presented as the central consideration.
