English FA urges Infantino to disclose documents on abandoned World Cup sell‑off plan

LONDON, September 18 — The chair of England's Football Association, Debbie Hewitt, has implored Fifa president Gianni Infantino to disclose all related documentation to the scrapped proposal of selling a portion of the World Cup to private investors. The plan was swiftly abandoned following widespread criticism, with the Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) threatening to boycott all Fifa tournaments until it was canceled.

Hewitt, who concurrently serves as a Fifa vice-president and council member, has penned a letter to Infantino, requesting a full unveiling of all pertinent documents before the next Fifa Council meeting on October 15. Additionally, Hewitt has pleaded for the release of records concerning the suspension of disciplinary action against United States forward Folarin Balogun during the World Cup, following a phone conversation between US President Donald Trump and Infantino.

Infantino publicly apologized for the mishandling of the private investor scheme in August, and Fifa's management board announced an inquiry, although the identity of the reviewer remains undisclosed. Uefa has expressed its "loss of confidence" in Infantino and has initiated legal proceedings in the US court system to obtain records connected to the private investor proposal.

The football governing body has also vowed to identify a suitable candidate to challenge Infantino during the upcoming Fifa Congress in March, with the candidate submission deadline set for November 18. Infantino has confirmed his intention to contest for re-election.