FIFA President Gianni Infantino has claimed that he enjoys the support of an “overwhelming majority” across world football, dismissing a question about whether he had considered resigning amid controversy over the proposed sale of commercial rights linked to the sport’s global governing body.

In an interview with BBC Sport, Infantino expressed confidence in his position despite the backlash surrounding the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative. He acknowledged, however, that bringing differing opinions together under one roof was not always easy.

“There is nothing wrong with disagreements. We see them every day in many countries around the world. It is fine to disagree. It is fine to have different points of view. But then we must be able to move forward,” Infantino said.

Two months ago, Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, faced pressure to step down as president. The heads of UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF, the governing body for football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, signed a letter accusing him of having breached a relationship of trust through “deception.”

Last week, UEFA called on FIFA to publish all key documents relating to the FFE initiative by November 2. UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis said the organization had failed to answer “several fundamental questions.”

The now-cancelled FFE proposal would have involved FIFA selling part of the commercial rights associated with competitions run by the governing body to a private investment firm.

Since the letter became public, Infantino has travelled to several countries, including Morocco, the Dominican Republic, Cape Verde and Japan, in what has been seen as an effort to consolidate support. His visits have strengthened the impression that he is well positioned to secure a fourth term as FIFA president next year.

He has also proposed increasing funding for global football development by $3.4 billion.

FIFA May Have Done Some Things “Less Well”

During the interview, Infantino highlighted what he described as full backing from the AFC, following a change in position by its president, Sheikh Salman. He also claimed to have the support of every country in Africa.

However, last week he apologized to the FIFA Council for shortcomings in communication and consultation over the FFE proposal.

During that meeting, council members reportedly warned that he would not be “fit” to serve as FIFA president unless he provided requested documents, including material explaining the rationale behind the proposal.

Asked when those documents would be made available, Infantino did not give a clear timetable. He said the matter was subject to a “legal process” and that work was underway.

“We will, of course, answer all the questions raised to the extent that the process allows and as far as we are able to,” he said.

Speaking from Azerbaijan during the inaugural FIFA Under-15 World Cup, Infantino said he and FIFA’s administration were trying to do their jobs “as well as possible.” He nevertheless acknowledged that some aspects of their work might have been handled less effectively.

In an apparent effort to repair strained relations with UEFA, he said FIFA needed to engage in dialogue with the European governing body “more frequently.”

Infantino Says FIFA Members Will Decide His Future

When BBC Sport asked whether he was fit to remain FIFA president and whether he had ever considered resigning, Infantino laughed before responding.

“You know, I was elected by 211 member associations from around the world,” he said.

He argued that different opinions and perspectives were essential in an organization such as FIFA.

“But if we take democracy and democratic processes seriously, and if we believe that everyone everywhere should have an equal vote and an equal voice, if we believe that football belongs to everyone, then we must also respect the views of the overwhelming, overwhelming majority,” he said.

“I have just returned from Tokyo, where the Asian Football Confederation gave me its full support. I was also in Cape Verde, where all the countries [of the Confederation of African Football] supported me. I am speaking with member associations in every part of the world,” he added.

Infantino acknowledged that reconciling different viewpoints could be difficult but insisted that all opinions deserved respect.

“There are different points of view. It is not always easy to bring everyone together under one roof. But we must respect everyone’s opinions and perspectives, and I do,” he said.

He added that FIFA’s member associations would ultimately decide whom they wanted as president and how they wanted the organization to be run.

The deadline for candidates to announce their intention to challenge Infantino in the election scheduled for March is November 18. No challenger has declared a candidacy so far, leaving open the possibility that Infantino could be elected unopposed.