FIFA President Gianni Infantino has faced constant scrutiny after the world football governing body tried to sell FIFA World Cup stakes to individual stakeholders to raise $20 billion. The proposal was shelved in early August, but is costing Infantino support ahead of next year's presidential elections.
With FIFA announcing on Wednesday that the failed 'FIFA Forward Enterprise' proposal will be presented to the FIFA Council, FIFA VP Debbie Hewitt has called for Infantino to release all documents related to the sell-off plans before October 15th, according to The Times' Martyn Ziegler.
Hewitt called for the release in a letter sent to Infantino and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom, who's publicly opposed Infantino in light of the sell-off scheme. Hewitt, who also chairs the English FA, expressed her disappointment that Infantino has not been in contact with the FIFA Council, the organisation's highest decision-making body, since announcing the withdrawal of the 'FFE' plans on August 5th.
Hewitt called for an independent review of the 'FFE' proposal - something UEFA, CONCACAF, and AFC called for in a joint letter that called for Infantino to resign.
In addition to the 'FFE' files, Hewitt also called for the release of documents related to the suspension of USA striker Folarin Balogun's red card ahead of the USMNT's round-of-16 match against Belgium at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Balogun received a red card for serious foul play in the round-of-32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but FIFA lifted it and his suspension after a phone call from US President Donald Trump. Infantino defended the decision at the time, saying it came from "independent judicial bodies."
Loss of support
Gianni Infantino has steadily lost support amid the FIFA Forward Enterprise scandal, with UEFA, CONCACAF, and AFC jointly calling for the Swiss executive's resignation.
Several football associations have also withdrawn their support, including Hewitt's FA and the Dutch KNVB, which has called for a global summit about large-scale reform within FIFA.
In late August, UEFA asked a U.S. federal court for permission to obtain testimony and documents from FIFA entities in Florida for use in a planned criminal complaint. The European governing body is considering criminal proceedings against Infantino, whom it alleges bypassed FIFA's governance processes and failed to consult the FIFA Council, confederations, or member associations.
The French and Greek FAs joined the host of member associations in withdrawing their support for Infantino in recent weeks, while German DFB President Bernd Neuendorf said it was "important that this Infantino system is brought to an end."