Dubai: Gianni Infantino’s efforts to put the FIFA Forward Enterprise controversy behind him failed to convince those in the room.
During a three-and-a-half-hour FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on Thursday, the president apologised for the “communication and consultation process” surrounding the scrapped proposal to sell a stake in FIFA’s commercial rights to external investors. However, European federation presidents emerged from the meeting saying their questions remained unanswered.
“The man has to answer those questions, and if he doesn’t answer those questions, no, he’s not fit to be FIFA president,” said Debbie Hewitt, chair of the English Football Association and a FIFA vice-president.
Bernd Neuendorf, head of the German Football Association, also said the meeting had failed to provide satisfactory answers, adding that reforming FIFA’s previous administration was “not possible with Gianni.”
The FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal was introduced and subsequently abandoned in July 2026. According to ESPN, the plan would have transferred FIFA’s commercial rights into a separate subsidiary, with external investors led by US financier Joshua Kushner set to acquire at least a 20 per cent stake. Reports suggested the initiative aimed to raise $4.2 billion.
Infantino told the Council that the initiative had been “a proposal and in no way a done deal”, confirming it had been permanently scrapped. However, members seeking access to the supporting documents were denied them, with FIFA citing ongoing legal proceedings in the United States.
Hewitt described the documents as “a crucial next part” of establishing whether the matter warranted any criminal investigation.
Infantino also arrived in Zurich with a financial package for FIFA’s member associations. The proposed FIFA Surplus Solidarity Program would distribute $6.35 billion among all 211 associations during the 2027-2030 cycle, equating to around $25 million per federation. This would represent a significant increase on the previous allocation of $10 million per association.
Opposition to Infantino is not universal within FIFA. While UEFA and the English FA are at the forefront of the criticism, FIFA has 211 member associations, each with a vote at Congress.
The next presidential election will take place in Rabat, Morocco, on March 18, 2027. Anyone hoping to challenge Infantino must secure written nominations from five member associations by November 18, 2026, just over a month away. No rival candidate has yet announced a bid.