Fifa to open World Cup commercial plan files to council members

Fifa council members will be allowed to examine key documents linked to the abandoned $20bn Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom wrote to council members on Monday inviting them to express an interest in viewing the material. Access will be offered under specific conditions at Fifa’s headquarters in Zurich.

The development came as a deadline set by European football’s governing body Uefa for Fifa to answer questions about Gianni Infantino’s presidency expired. European federations have been calling for reforms at Fifa while opposing Infantino’s re-election.

Fifa withdrew the FFE plan earlier this summer, just days after it was announced. The proposal, reportedly worth $20bn, would have involved selling commercial rights linked to the World Cup and prompted a backlash that put Infantino’s leadership under pressure.

Several federations called for major changes at Fifa following the proposal’s failure. Infantino, who is Swiss-Italian, had previously suggested an independent examination of the organisation’s decision-making processes.

Uefa wrote to Fifa last month seeking answers on a range of issues, including the FFE proposal and the Fifa Peace Prize. It gave Fifa until November 2 to respond to more than 100 questions.

However, the person with knowledge of the matter said Fifa considered the timetable impossible to meet.

“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 Baku, Azerbaijan,” the person said.

“The organisation is also preparing for an extraordinary congress on 23 November to determine the hosts for the 2031 and 2035 Fifa Women’s World Cups. The ongoing legal action in the US has also created legal boundaries.

“Fifa has maintained it would respond to council members in due course, and the invitation to view key documents is only to council members.”

Infantino’s position was strengthened more than a week ago when the head of Asian football backed his bid for a fourth term. That endorsement has left Europe increasingly isolated in its opposition to the Fifa president.

Infantino is due to stand for re-election in March 2027. Potential candidates face a November 18 deadline to submit their nominations.