FIFA bows to UEFA pressure, opens World Cup sell-off documents to council members

The world football governing body Fifa will grant its council members access to crucial documents related to the canceled Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, a source familiar with the situation disclosed to Reuters on Monday. Fifa abandoned the US$20 billion World Cup sell-off plan earlier this summer, just days after publicly disclosing it, due to widespread opposition that jeopardized President Gianni Infantino's leadership.

On Monday, Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom sent a letter to Fifa council members, inviting them to register their interest in examining the documents under specified conditions at the organization's Zurich headquarters. This action came on the same day a deadline was set by European football's governing body Uefa for Fifa to respond to questions regarding Infantino's presidency, as European federations demand reforms and oppose his reelection.

Several federations have called for extensive changes to Fifa following the failed proposal, with Infantino previously advocating for an independent review of the organization's decision-making processes. Last month, Uefa submitted a letter to Fifa requesting answers about Infantino's presidency, including inquiries about the FFE and the Fifa Peace Prize, setting a November 2 deadline for a response.

Fifa found Uefa's two-week deadline for providing over 100 questions unmanageable, considering their recent focus on organizing a new youth World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, and preparations for an extraordinary congress on November 23 to decide the hosts for the 2031 and 2035 Fifa Women's World Cups. The ongoing legal proceedings in the United States have also imposed legal constraints on Fifa.

Despite these challenges, Infantino's chances of reelection strengthened significantly a week ago when the head of Asian football endorsed him for a fourth term, leaving Europe increasingly dissatisfied with the Fifa chief. Infantino will vie for reelection in March 2027, with a November 18 deadline for potential candidates to submit their nominations.