For those who wondered whether Gianni Infantino could be shamed into a rapid resignation, the answer is now emphatically clear. The FIFA president is fighting on — and on Wednesday evening he appeared to score his first victory since his clandestine plot to sell off stakes in FIFA's business came to light and was abandoned.

A show of faith on home turf

Infantino summoned FIFA's management board to Morocco, where he opened a FIFA Africa office in late 2024 and which will co-host the 2030 men's World Cup. It is one of the few places on earth that has felt like home turf for the Swiss-Italian in recent days: the Royal Moroccan Football Federation was among the first associations to support him after he was forced to abandon his scheme on Friday night, and FIFA's office in Rabat sits inside the Mohammed VI Football Complex — the premises of the Moroccan federation, whose president Fouzi Lekjaa also sits on the FIFA Council.

Not everyone answered the call. Arsene Wenger, chief of global football development, and Jill Ellis, chief football officer, were both absent, as was Kevin Lamour, the chief operating officer who on Friday accused Infantino of "deceiving" staff with "the project of one person". Wenger had said in a Tuesday statement that it was "necessary" to ditch the plan, though he does not appear to be taking matters further.

Those who did make it to Rabat did not admonish their president. Instead, they signed off an extraordinary show of faith, with a statement declaring that those "in attendance reaffirmed their full support" for Infantino.

Grafstrom's spectacular capitulation

Most remarkably, that support included FIFA general secretary Mattias Grafstrom, who only a day earlier had written to all FIFA staff condemning a "sad and reproachable series of events — which were thankfully concluded with the FIFA Forward Enterprise project permanently abandoned." In that memo he even observed that individuals "come and go", a line widely interpreted as a signal he might put FIFA's interests ahead of Infantino's future. European plotters had begun to believe they had a breakable ally at the very heart of Infantino's empire.

Yet on Wednesday, FIFA's second-in-command capitulated spectacularly, co-signing a letter with Infantino to all 211 member associations. The letter accepted that "processes, communications and interactions" between the president, the general secretary and the management board could be improved and acknowledged that "mistakes" had been made.

"We sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again," wrote Infantino and Grafstrom, promising a "necessary review" to be presented at the next FIFA Council meeting. The pair even posed for a choreographed, smiling thumbs-up photograph posted on Instagram.

Given Grafstrom did not design the plans — his relationship with Infantino has been strained by a series of decisions over the past year, including the president's fawning over U.S. president Donald Trump and the expansion of both the Club World Cup and the World Cup — it is unclear what he was apologising for, other than to prop up his boss.

Having shown a modicum of contrition, the letter then went on the attack: FIFA will "no longer tolerate" attacks on its integrity, governance and due process, will take "all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation", and claimed everything related to Infantino's project had been in "full compliance" with the organisation's regulatory framework.

A revolt that is only getting dirtier

The immediate response, particularly in Europe, was one of anger — and evidence that Infantino's foes and potential usurpers are now deep into a fight that is only going to get dirtier. UEFA said FIFA's leadership had lost its confidence, while Concacaf called for a "comprehensive reckoning" on his presidency. Both have encouraged member federations to withdraw letters endorsing Infantino's re-election, more than 200 of which were submitted by the end of the World Cup.

England, Wales, Serbia, Greece and Sweden have gone public in withdrawing, though others, such as Switzerland, have held back — the Swiss want to speak one-on-one with Infantino first. Concacaf federations are yet to move, with several saying they are in no rush, and nominations for next spring's presidential election not due until November.

Others have shown fewer reservations. Former FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin Al Hussein accused FIFA of trying to "blackmail" the Jordan Football Association into supporting Infantino's bid. In a scorching social media post, he said his organisation had been failed by FIFA on visas for fans travelling to the U.S. during the World Cup, on tax bills from competing in America, and on unpaid payments from December's FIFA Arab Cup.

The pressure has been compounded by a drip-feed of damaging revelations: FIFA is still to pay $250 million in solidarity payments to clubs from the 2025 Club World Cup, and the 2029 edition is in doubt amid anger over Infantino's attempts to sell a stake in the competition; U.S. cities are chasing FIFA for millions of dollars they believe they are owed; Sky News reported FIFA sent "scripted letters" to associations offering endorsements of Infantino's re-election; and leaked documents suggested — though did not prove — FIFA was involved in early plans to formulate a Super League, a proposal Infantino later publicly condemned. FIFA responded to that report by pointing to an Infantino statement at the time saying FIFA "strongly disapproved" of the Super League plans.

Figo and the politicians pile in

Infantino also faced stinging criticism from Luis Figo, the former Barcelona and Real Madrid winger and ex-Portugal international — who is also a paid UEFA adviser. Figo described the plan to sell stakes in FIFA events to private investors as the "most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed", in a post viewed more than six million times.

"Infantino has debased the office that he promised to elevate," Figo said. "He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve."

His support among lawmakers is ebbing too. After new UK prime minister Andy Burnham called for his exit, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney said he did not have "confidence" in Infantino.

"It should be fatal," Carney said. "I've run a few organizations in my time. The idea that proper governance is not to disclose to your closest advisers, your chief operating officer, your fellow board members, something of consequence that you're even considering let alone proposing, that should be fatal and you lose confidence in that individual."

Carney also boosted Concacaf president Victor Montagliani, the man widely tipped to emerge as Infantino's most likely rival should enough votes materialise — though Montagliani, like most international football executives, has not made himself available to set out his views or a vision for a post-Infantino FIFA.

Where Infantino's support holds

Late on Wednesday, Infantino — who has taken no questions on the scandal — was back on his preferred platform, Instagram, sharing statements of support from the Philippines Football Federation and the Mongolian Football Federation. They joined Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon and Kuwait in backing him from the Asian confederation, which would be a key battleground in any genuine contest. The Saudi Arabian federation, despite Infantino having engineered its sole hosting of the 2034 World Cup, is yet to comment while it elects a new head — though that may be procedural hesitancy.

For Europe, where hostility is most entrenched, the meekness of FIFA's management board may breed despondency. Plotters had hoped others would follow Lamour — and Infantino's now-former adviser Carlos Cordeiro — in putting their jobs on the line. They know they must maintain momentum if Infantino is to be forced out, or uncover something so material that even his most loyal allies are compelled to take another look.

For now, Infantino's inner circle has committed to the no-shame era — where behaviour is no longer moored to conscience, and actions do not have consequences.