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Under-pressure FIFA president Gianni Infantino is expected to stay in office despite facing unprecedented resistance from within the organisation and increasing demands for him to step down. After marathon crisis discussions with senior staff in Morocco on Wednesday, Infantino believes he still has enough political backing across South America, Africa and Asia to ride out the turmoil and fend off growing calls for his immediate exit.

Infantino stands firm in Rabat

According to Sky Sports, Infantino concluded a seven-hour meeting with senior FIFA staff on Wednesday before later being seen smiling alongside secretary general Mattias Grafstrom at a Women's AFCON match in Morocco.

The meeting came after serious fallout over a failed proposal to sell commercial stakes in the World Cup to private investors, a development that led figures such as Luis Figo to demand that he leave immediately.

Even so, Infantino insists that he is answerable directly to the 211 member associations that make up FIFA, rather than to his outspoken critics. Believing that he retains solid support from member nations in Africa, Asia and South America, Infantino remains determined to hold on to power.

Opposition builds within the football community

The political manoeuvring is unfolding amid strong criticism from leading football personalities. Figo delivered a blistering verdict on Infantino, calling his behaviour "the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour" and saying that Infantino has degraded the office he holds and "should go. Now."

At the same time, Arsene Wenger, FIFA's chief of global football development, moved to distance himself from the abandoned commercial plan. Wenger said publicly that he had been left out of the proposal, adding, "The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent FIFA that serves our game with commitment, transparency, and integrity." His comments underlined the deep internal divisions currently affecting the organisation.

Disputed promises and regional alliances

Reports have also surfaced claiming that Infantino offered Morocco the right to host the 2030 World Cup final at Casablanca's new Hassan II Stadium in return for public support.

Morocco will co-host the 2030 tournament along with Spain and Portugal, while Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu had earlier been viewed as the leading candidate to stage the final.

However, FIFA responded quickly to deny that any assurances had been given over the marquee match. A FIFA spokesperson said that "it is untrue and misleading to claim that the FIFA president made any promises regarding the staging of the 2030 World Cup final" and added that a decision would be made only at the appropriate time.

What next for the FIFA presidency?

The next move now lies with those opposing Infantino's leadership. His critics could call an emergency meeting of the FIFA Council or seek an extraordinary Congress in order to trigger a formal vote of no confidence. Another possibility is for rival candidates to enter the contest before the November 18 deadline ahead of the presidential election in March, setting the stage for a crucial fight over the future direction of football governance.