documents

FIFA Council members may view documents related to Gianni Infantino’s doomed plan, but only in person in Zurich

FIFA will release details of President Gianni Infantino’s aborted plan to sell off stakes in future World Cups to private investors, but they will not be shared with the public.

Reports in the British media said members of the FIFA Council, the main decision-making body of football’s world governing body, will be given access to “key documents” related to the proposal, named FIFA Forward Enterprise.

However, they can only view them under “strict protocols to preserve confidentiality”, the reports said. Those include the 37 members of the council having to register for an in-person appointment to view selected paperwork in Zurich, Switzerland, in the next two weeks.

The news came out late on Monday, the deadline European football’s governing body, UEFA, had set for FIFA to release details about the $4.2bn scheme and answer questions about how the proposal came about and who approved it before the plans were dropped in July amid a worldwide backlash.

UEFA set the deadline after a tense council meeting at which Infantino apologised for the proposal but provided no details about how the plan was formed. He asked council members to submit their questions in writing.

UEFA is leading attempts to remove Infantino before or at the FIFA presidential election on March 18 in Rabat, Morocco. Infantino, who was elected in 2016, is seeking a fourth term through 2031.

Fifa says “key documents” relating to president Gianni Infantino’s failed plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors will be made available to members of its council.

Last month, Uefa gave football’s world governing body until 2 November to release details about the hugely controversial Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, and to answer a list of questions relating to its governance and decision-making.

That followed a council meeting at which Infantino apologised for the abandoned sell-off plot but failed to offer a full explanation for how the proposal was devised, asking that questions be submitted in writing.

Just hours before the deadline from European football’s governing body passed, Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom wrote to members of its main decision-making body – saying they will be able to view “key documents”, but only in person at the organisation’s headquarters in Zurich.

In his letter – seen by BBC Sport – he says the paperwork will be available “under strict review protocols to preserve confidentiality”, with council members asked to register to see them within the next two weeks.

It is unclear which documents will be made available.

BBC Sport has been told Fifa viewed Uefa’s two-week deadline to respond to more than 100 questions as unfeasible, given their recent focus on organising a new youth World Cup in Azerbaijan and preparations for an extraordinary congress later this month.

Sources have also indicated Fifa’s ability to answer some questions is limited by legal action that Uefa launched in October in the US, requesting disclosure of evidence and documents, warning it could lodge a criminal complaint in Switzerland.

Last month, Uefa told Fifa that it had failed to address “a number of fundamental questions”.

The letter included eight pages of questions covering a number of issues, from FFE and funding to national associations, to the awarding of an inaugural Fifa Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump and the controversial suspended ban given to USA striker Folarin Balogun at the World Cup.

“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,” the letter said.

“These questions require answers now. They cannot be deferred until the next meeting of the Fifa Council – nor can future governance reforms substitute for scrutiny of decisions already taken and accountability for them.”

Uefa did not outline what steps it intended to take should Fifa not meet the deadline, but hoped it added to the pressure on Infantino before 18 November – the cut-off date for any candidates to confirm they are standing against him in next year’s presidential election.

In his letter Grafstrom says that Uefa’s demand “contains significantly more questions than the Fifa administration could reasonably have anticipated” and that it is “currently working on a response which we will share with all council members in due course.”

He adds that the FFE proposal “could not have proceeded without the cumulative and mandatory approval of the council, and a majority of member associations, and in that event, there would be and has been no penalty to Fifa for withdrawing from the proposal”.

Uefa has been approached for comment.

In a letter outlining 42 questions, UEFA gives FIFA until November 2 to release documents on Infantino’s aborted plans.

UEFA has given FIFA a deadline of November 2 to release documents relating to its president Gianni Infantino’s aborted attempts at a secretive investment plan for the World Cup and other governance issues.

The latest move in a power struggle between the global and continental governing bodies was revealed on Monday, days after European football’s top officials were disappointed by what they perceived as a lack of clarity from Infantino over the issues at a FIFA Council meeting last week.

Infantino provided no documents about the $4.2bn World Cup sell-off plan he launched and quickly dropped in July amid a fierce backlash led by Europe.

Among the 42 questions to which UEFA is demanding answers are: Infantino’s personal remuneration package, financial payments made to singer Marc Anthony, the handling of USA striker Folarin Balogun’s disciplinary case, business and political relationships involving US President Donald Trump and his family, and the operational independence of FIFA’s judicial, electoral and ethics committees.

UEFA asked US federal courts to authorise subpoenas compelling the production of documents and sworn testimony about the abandoned investment plan called FIFA Forward Enterprise.

FIFA lawyers have claimed UEFA is harassing Infantino.

Al Jazeera reached out to FIFA for a comment but did not receive a response.

Deep dissatisfaction

The formal letter, signed by UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis on behalf of European FIFA Council members, stated Infantino’s apology for his actions and subsequent explanation failed to address their core concerns.

“These explanations have not begun satisfactorily to address a number of fundamental questions raised by Council members. Others remain unanswered, and the information and documentation requested have not been [provided],” the letter said.

“The withdrawal of FFE, the recognition 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.”

According to media reports, the letter further said: “Any refusal to disclose information or documents should be justified individually, with a clear explanation of the specific grounds relied upon.”

Tight timeline

UEFA submitted 42 detailed questions to FIFA, demanding responses by November 2 — 16 days before the nomination deadline for the presidential election on March 18, 2027.

With the next FIFA Council meeting scheduled for December 16 in Doha, Qatar — after nominations close — UEFA insisted that answers cannot wait.

“These questions require answers now. They cannot be deferred until the next meeting of the FIFA Council — nor can future governance reforms substitute for scrutiny of decisions already taken and accountability for them,” the letter emphasised.

The earlier deadline would give federations time to assess FIFA’s answers — or its failure to answer — while they can still nominate or endorse a challenger.

Uefa has posed a great number of questions about FFE.

“When was the idea of FFE first explored, by whom and with what objective?” Uefa asked. “Who within Fifa authorised the development of the project, and which members of the Fifa administration were involved?

“What concrete measures will Fifa put in place to ensure that the shortcomings identified in the FFE process cannot occur again in the future?”

Uefa requested information on whether Infantino would have held or expected to hold any position, role or function in FFE, either during or following his tenure as Fifa president.

The relationship with Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital was covered in detail, asking why an agreement granting exclusivity to the company was signed without prior consultation of the Fifa Council.

“Why was Thrive Capital selected as lead investor, without any competitive tendering process and under conditions of strict confidentiality, despite its links to the family of the recipient of the Fifa Peace Prize?” Uefa asked.

Kushner is the brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law, while the US president was awarded the Peace Prize.

Uefa also requested answer about the award of the Peace Prize, specifically who decided to establish it, for what purpose, and who decided that Trump should receive it.

When the FFE plan was revealed in the days following the World Cup final, Infantino told the 211 member associations (MAs) they would receive $40m (£30m) if they backed it. He then set a deadline of 19 September for federations to accept his plans if they wanted to access an initial $20m (£15m).

However, once the scheme was abandoned, Uefa and Concacaf called on Fifa to pay at least $10m (£7.5m) from its cash reserves to each of the MAs and, last week, Infantino agreed, proposing to increase the amount of money handed out for football development across the world by $3.4bn (£2.6bn).

The releasing of cash from its reserves will result in double the level of planned distribution funding for MAs from 2027 to 2030, with $25m (£19m) available per member association.

“Why was substantially increased funding for MAs presented in connection with FFE and external investment, rather than being financed directly from Fifa’s own resources?” Uefa has asked.

“Given Fifa’s strong financial position, why was it considered necessary to seek investment from private investors? What financial or strategic advantages would such an arrangement have offered compared with funding football development directly from Fifa’s own resources, particularly in light of Fifa’s subsequent proposal to do precisely that on a substantially increased scale?”