RABAT, MOROCCO — FIFA has apologized for “mistakes” in its abandoned plan to sell commercial rights to the World Cup, and its senior leadership, gathered for a crisis meeting in Morocco, has reaffirmed its full support for president Gianni Infantino.

It is, by any measure, a masterclass in institutional accountability: someone apologized, someone else forgave, and everyone got to keep their jobs. The plan itself — a $20 billion proposal that would have let private investors buy a piece of the world’s most popular sporting event — is dead, but the man who championed it is very much alive, which his colleagues have confirmed in writing, repeatedly.

The meeting was held in Morocco, which is convenient for several reasons: it is a co-host of the 2030 World Cup, it is a beautiful country, and, most importantly, it is nowhere near any of the member associations that wanted to ask questions. Crisis meetings, as every football executive knows, are best held in locations where the crisis cannot find you.

"He apologized. That took courage," said a FIFA insider who attended the summit and spoke on condition of anonymity, because everyone at the summit spoke on condition of anonymity. "Selling the World Cup took vision. You cannot have one without the other. We reaffirmed our support for the vision, accepted the apology for the vision, and agreed to stop talking about the vision in public. That is what unity looks like."

The apology itself has been praised for its phrasing. Reports indicate the letter acknowledges that “errors were made,” which is the diplomatic equivalent of saying “things happened” — a formulation broad enough to cover everything and specific enough to admit nothing. Infantino has reportedly shaken off calls to resign — for now — and his deputies, who previously claimed to know nothing about the plan, have now claimed to know everything about supporting him.

CRISIS MEETING AGENDA (RABAT, MOROCCO)

  • Item 1: The Apology. Delivered. Errors were made. The errors were not specified, which means they were understood.
  • Item 2: Reaffirmation of Support. Unanimous. Attendees confirmed their support for the president, the presidency, and the general concept of presidents.
  • Item 3: The $20 Billion Plan. Deferred to a future meeting, to be held at a location where no one will ask about it.
  • Item 4: Future Revenue Ideas. Brainstormed privately. Attendees were reminded that "we will announce it when it's ready" is not itself a revenue idea.
  • Item 5: Photo Opportunities. Two hours. Everyone smiled. Unity was photographed from several angles.

The fallout has not fully cleared. Member associations have been told the apology was sincere, the support was unanimous, and the questions should stop. Whether they will remains an open question, but FIFA has already prepared a second letter — an apology for the first apology, should anyone have been offended by it.

At press time, FIFA staff were reportedly reviewing whether “full support” could be extended to future plans, and a spokesperson confirmed that the organization’s next crisis meeting would be scheduled as soon as the next mistake is identified — which, the spokesperson added, “we expect to be soon.”