Fifa president Gianni Infantino has faced further criticism from within his own organisation after secretary general Mattias Grafström described the failed World Cup private investment scheme as a "sad and reproachable series of events". Arsène Wenger, Fifa's chief of global development, also broke his silence to say the plan's withdrawal was "absolutely necessary and beyond question", revealing he had not been involved in or informed about the project until it appeared in media reports. The comments deepen the sense that Infantino is becoming isolated within Fifa's senior leadership as pressure mounts on his presidency.

The rebukes follow last week's resignation of senior advisor Carlos Cordeiro and a similarly critical statement from chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, who said the administration had been "deceived" by Infantino. Grafström's remarks came in an email to Fifa staff, in which he avoided naming Infantino directly but pledged to shield colleagues from the ongoing turmoil while urging them to stay focused on serving football's 211 member associations. The fallout has coincided with a number of European federations withdrawing their backing for Infantino's re-election on Monday, with further defections expected.