THE Philippine Football Federation (PFF) has expressed continued support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino amidst controversy surrounding his leadership after a recent attempt to sell a portion of the World Cup to private investors.
In a statement released on its social media on Wednesday, the PFF said it stands behind Infantino and looks forward to working with the international federation and Member Associations to further develop football across the world.
“We stand behind President Gianni Infantino’s leadership, and trust that continued dialogue among all confederations and Member Associations will keep the global game moving forward together,” its statement read in a Facebook post that also included a photo of Infantino with national federation president John Gutierrez.
Infantino, elected as president of the world football body in 2016, came under fire due to a proposal called the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), wherein a minority portion of its competitions such as the World Cup was be sold to the private sector to increase funding for football development.
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) strongly opposed the FFE proposal, with member nations threatening to boycott the World Cup if it was implemented.
The Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), and even the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), to which the Philippines is a member, also opposed the FFE.
The proposal has since been withdrawn by FIFA.
Despite the withdrawal, the PFF said it supports the wisdom behind the FFE proposal since it would have meant more funds for all 211 member associations of FIFA, with developing nations such as the Philippines being one of the beneficiaries.
“The PFF believes developing football nations need stronger financial and technical support, and we welcome any serious effort to provide it," its statement continued.
“We respect the views of UEFA, CONCACAF, the AFC, and fellow Member Associations that proposals of significant structural and financial impact - such as the FIFA Forward Enterprise - must be discussed openly and democratically.
“Although FIFA has withdrawn the FFE proposal, PFF continues to support the goal behind it, championed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino; expanding commercial and financial assistance to all 211 Member Associations, especially smaller markets like the Philippines.”
Opposing view
But not everyone agreed with PFF's stand.
Former Filipinas team captain Tahnai Ahnis was among those who expressed their displeasure. In her Instagram Story, Ahnis wrote the words ‘Birds of a feather’ and ‘football is not for sale.’
Filipino fans also made their views known in the comment section of the PFF statement posted on Facebook.
Observers also questioned the timing of the statement which came just a day after the Philippine men’s football team lost to Thailand, 1-0, in the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026.
READ: Late Waris header breaks Pinoys' hearts as Thailand nips PMNT
Nevertheless, the PFF believes the leadership of Infantino has had a positive impact on developing nations, with the expansion of the recently-concluded FIFA World Cup 2026 to 48 teams as a perfect example.
“That commitment to a more inclusive game was clear at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, grown to 48 teams under President Infantino’s leadership. Emerging nations like Cabo Verde, Curacao, and Uzbekistan showed what they can do on the biggest stage - a reminder that when developing nations get real investment, the game becomes more competitive for everyone,” it said in its statement.
“PFF values its strong relationship with FIFA and its fellow Member Associations, and looks forward to working with the wider football community to turn this shared goal of stronger support for developing nations into reality.”
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