The UAE Football Association, along with other regional bodies, welcomed the decision by Fifa to withdraw plans to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors, stating that the move to discontinue the proposal “serves the interests of the global football family”.
The UAE FA also backed the leadership of president Gianni Infantino.
In a statement, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, president of the UAE FA, welcomed the decision by the world governing body to scrap the proposed sale, saying it will help preserve unity.
The UAE football body urged “all proposals to be carefully considered with wisdom to safeguard the interests of the game, its fans, and the wider football community”.
“Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan noted that the UAE Football Association supports initiatives and proposals that promote the continued development of football while maintaining the cohesion of the international football family,” the statement added.
Other regional associations joined the UAE in welcoming the move and extending their support to Infantino.
The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) commended Infantino and Fifa for “listening to member associations and acting in a way that best serves the interests of the international football community.”
“The Egyptian Football Association reiterates its full trust in president Gianni Infantino's leadership and its continuous support for any initiatives that benefit Fifa member associations and the future of world football,” the Egyptian FA said in a statement.
The Qatar Football Association said that “while the proposal had merit, we applaud the wisdom behind prioritising unity among member associations”.
The Qatar FA also gave Infantino their “full backing”.
Morocco's football body stated Infantino's decision to withdraw the proposal was a “wise one as it prioritises unity and cohesion among Fifa members”.
Morocco federation president Faouzi Lekjaa also gave his support to Infantino and “for all initiatives aimed at promoting the development of football”.
The developments come after the European governing body stated it had lost trust in the leadership of Infantino.
While Uefa welcomed Fifa's decision to take a step back, it said the world body has lost the confidence of member boards.
“The current Fifa leadership has not only lost Uefa’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family,” Uefa said in a statement on Saturday.
“Uefa thanks all the fans, leagues, clubs, players, individuals, associations and confederations that opposed the scheme, alongside the many Prime Ministers, heads of state and commentators who have demonstrated to the Fifa president that football is not for sale,” it added.
“We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game. We must identify those responsible and hold them to account.”
Concacaf, representing North America, Central America and the Caribbean, also questioned Infantino's presidency.
“A proposal of this magnitude does not reach that stage by accident. It is a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first. This recent unilateral and egregious act of poor governance and leadership follows a pattern of missteps and similar behaviour. A comprehensive reckoning with this presidency is imperative,” Concacaf said in a statement.
