FIFA has agreed to make key documents relating to President Gianni Infantino’s controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors available to members of its powerful council, following mounting pressure from European football governing body, Uefa.
However, access to the documents will be restricted to council members who register for an in-person inspection at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, under what the organisation described as “strict review protocols” designed to preserve confidentiality.
The decision, communicated by FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom in a letter to council members, came just hours before a November 2 deadline imposed by Uefa for the world football governing body to provide explanations over the abandoned Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.
The letter, seen by BBC Sport, stated that council members would be allowed to examine the relevant documents within the next two weeks, although FIFA did not specify which records would be made available.
The development represents a fresh twist in the growing governance controversy surrounding Infantino’s proposed investment arrangement, which sought to open up stakes in the World Cup to private investors before the plan was eventually abandoned.
Uefa had demanded detailed explanations after expressing dissatisfaction with Infantino’s apology at a previous FIFA Council meeting, where he acknowledged mistakes surrounding the proposal but failed to provide a comprehensive account of how it was conceived and handled.
At the meeting, Infantino had asked council members to submit their questions in writing.
In its subsequent correspondence, Uefa accused FIFA of failing to address fundamental questions about the proposal, insisting that the withdrawal of the plan did not absolve the organisation of the responsibility to explain how the decisions were taken.
“The withdrawal of FFE, the acknowledgement of mistakes and the announcement of ‘potential governance reforms’ do not answer how the relevant decisions were taken or why the FIFA Council was not involved at the appropriate stage,” Uefa stated.
The European body maintained that accountability for decisions already taken could not be postponed until a future council meeting or replaced by promises of governance reforms.
FIFA Cites Workload, Legal Constraints
Grafstrom, however, indicated that FIFA considered Uefa’s two-week deadline unrealistic, arguing that the organisation had received substantially more questions than its administration could reasonably have anticipated.
According to sources cited by BBC Sport, FIFA had been occupied with preparations for a new youth World Cup in Azerbaijan and an extraordinary congress scheduled for later in November.
There are also concerns that ongoing legal proceedings initiated by Uefa in the United States could limit FIFA’s ability to respond fully to some of the questions.
Uefa reportedly launched the legal action in October, seeking disclosure of evidence and documents while warning that it could also file a criminal complaint in Switzerland.
Grafstrom said FIFA was working on a comprehensive response that would eventually be shared with all council members.
He also defended the approval process surrounding the abandoned investment proposal, arguing that it could not have proceeded without the cumulative and mandatory approval of the FIFA Council and a majority of member associations.
He further maintained that FIFA would not have incurred any penalty for withdrawing from the proposal.
UEFA Raises Questions Over Trump’s Peace Prize
Beyond the FFE controversy, Uefa’s eight-page letter contained more than 100 questions covering several contentious issues relating to FIFA’s governance, financial decisions and disciplinary processes.
Among the issues raised were the proposed funding arrangements for national football associations, the circumstances surrounding the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize awarded to United States President Donald Trump, and the controversial suspended ban imposed on USA striker Folarin Balogun at the World Cup.
The breadth of the questions underscores the growing scrutiny of decisions taken under Infantino’s leadership.
Uefa insisted that FIFA must provide immediate answers rather than defer the issues to subsequent meetings or rely on proposed governance reforms.
Infantino Faces 2027 Election Pressure
The controversy is also unfolding against the backdrop of FIFA’s 2027 presidential election, with November 18 set as the deadline for prospective challengers to formally confirm their candidacies against Infantino.
Uefa’s demand for explanations is therefore adding to the scrutiny surrounding the FIFA president ahead of the election process.
Although the European governing body did not publicly spell out the specific consequences FIFA would face for failing to meet its November 2 deadline, its intervention has intensified calls for greater transparency over the organisation’s decision-making.
With the documents now scheduled for restricted inspection, attention will turn to what FIFA makes available, whether the disclosures address Uefa’s concerns and whether the promised response will resolve he questions surrounding the abandoned World Cup investment proposal.
