Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt has formally requested that FIFA president Gianni Infantino disclose all documentation related to his now-abandoned proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup. Hewitt, who also serves as a FIFA vice-president, stated that the FIFA Council should simultaneously receive a written explanation regarding the overturned suspension of US forward Folarin Balogun during the recent tournament.
In a letter addressed to Infantino and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, Hewitt accused the world football governing body of governance failures and a cultural breakdown. She insists that all relevant documents be made available prior to the next FIFA Council meeting scheduled for 15 October.
The demand follows increasing scrutiny over the aborted Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative. The plan would have established a new entity to manage commercial and ticketing rights for competitions, including the World Cup, with a 21% share offered to private investors. However, the proposal was withdrawn after facing significant opposition from national associations.
Hewitt’s correspondence further calls for an independent review into the conception of FFE, those responsible for its development, and the process used to tender for private investment.
This escalation comes shortly after UEFA announced preparations for criminal legal proceedings against Infantino in three US courts concerning the FFE plan, while simultaneously demanding full document disclosure. FIFA responded by labeling UEFA’s actions as a smear campaign against its leadership.
The controversy has intensified following the Balogun incident. The 25-year-old striker was permitted to play against Belgium in the Round of 16 despite serving what would have been a one-match ban for a red card shown during the last-32 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina. FIFA cited a rule allowing for suspended punishments but provided no further reasoning.
The Football Association expressed deep concern over potential political intervention, noting that US President Donald Trump later confirmed he had contacted Infantino to request a review of the suspension. Additionally, the FFE proposal was leaked to the media just days after the World Cup final, fracturing trust among confederations.
Uefa, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation issued an open letter accusing Infantino of breaking trust through deception. Consequently, national associations from England, Wales, and Scotland have withdrawn their support for Infantino’s re-election bid.
Infantino, 56, is set to run for a fourth term in March, with a deadline of 18 November for opponents to nominate an alternative candidate. While he retains backing from the African, South American, and Oceania confederations, he has yet to engage with the FIFA Council regarding the FFE plan since canceling it at a management board meeting in Rabat, Morocco. That engagement is expected to resume next month.
Wait, Trump actually called Infantino? That is absolutely surreal and confirms the whole thing was political nonsense.
Transparent governance is non-negotiable after the FFE disaster. Transparency or else,