Infantino’s World Cup apology fails to ease FIFA presidency doubts

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has apologised for communication failures surrounding his abandoned plan to transfer part of the organisation’s World Cup commercial rights to private investors, as questions over governance and transparency put his leadership under scrutiny.

The apology followed a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on Thursday, where senior football officials sought answers about the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative and demanded greater transparency over how it was developed.

Debbie Hewitt, chair of the English Football Association and a FIFA vice-president, said Infantino would not be fit to continue as FIFA president unless he released relevant documents and answered outstanding questions about the proposal.

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The controversy comes as Infantino prepares to seek re-election in March 2027, potentially complicating efforts to secure support ahead of the vote.

In a statement released after the meeting, Infantino apologised for shortcomings in the consultation process but defended the initiative as a proposal designed to increase funding for FIFA member associations.

“I apologised for the mistakes that we made in relation to the communication and consultation process related to the FIFA Forward Enterprise project,” Infantino said.

“But what is important to remember is that it was a proposal, so in no way a done deal, just a proposal, that was actually intended to enable FIFA to invest more in our member associations.”

He confirmed that the initiative had been permanently withdrawn and would not return in any form.

The plan emerged publicly in late July and would have involved transferring part of FIFA’s commercial rights to a private investment firm. It was abandoned within days following opposition from several football confederations, including the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF.

The proposal raised concerns about transparency, governance and the implications of private investors participating in the commercial value of FIFA competitions.

Hewitt said Council members had not received answers to questions submitted before the meeting, including requests for documents relating to the FFE proposal.

“We were asked to submit our questions in relation to the plan, which was not put to the FIFA Council before the July announcement,” she said.

She described the meeting as the most robust, frank and open Council session she had experienced, but said Infantino’s response had not resolved her concerns.

Although she acknowledged that he had shown “some contrition”, Hewitt argued that his apology focused mainly on the failure to consult the Council rather than the substance of the proposal.

Infantino said he would respond to questions in writing “in due course”, describing the discussion as constructive despite differing opinions.

The meeting also addressed other issues, including the suspended red-card ban involving United States striker Folarin Balogun, FIFA’s Peace Prize and funding for national associations. The prize, awarded by Infantino to US President Donald Trump, has also attracted scrutiny, although its future remains unresolved.

Infantino has led FIFA since 2016. With no major challenger formally emerging, the fallout from the FFE proposal has nevertheless intensified questions about his leadership.

His immediate challenge is to address Council members’ outstanding concerns and rebuild confidence ahead of the 2027 presidential election.