FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE): "Individuals come and go, the institution remains" (M. Grafström, FIFA)

"Individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go. The institution, its mission and its responsibility towards world football continue, and that is why we should always keep our professionalism, sense of perspective and composure," Mattias Grafström (SWE-NED), secretary general at FIFA, wrote in an email sent to all employees of the international federation on 4 August 2026.

His message was sent three days after Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, abandoned, on 1 August 2026, his proposal to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial company open to private investors to manage the international federation’s commercial and event-related activities. The project had been unveiled on 28 July 2026 without any prior consultation, either with football stakeholders or…