Infantino faces renewed calls to quit as FIFA investment plan controversy deepens

Gianni Infantino has apologised for the handling of FIFA’s abandoned investment proposal, but his failure to answer questions from European football officials has led to fresh demands for him to resign as FIFA president.

At Thursday’s FIFA Council meeting in Zurich, Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt said Infantino’s position depended on him providing greater transparency over FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).

“The man has to answer those questions and if he doesn’t answer those questions, no, he is not fit to be FIFA president,” said Hewitt, who is also a FIFA vice-president.

Infantino apologised for shortcomings in the way the proposal was communicated and discussed with football authorities. However, he maintained that the plan had never been finalised.

FFE would have transferred FIFA’s commercial rights to a new subsidiary involving private investors led by Joshua Kushner. UEFA objected to the proposal, raising concerns about its valuation and the possible sale of a stake in revenue from future tournaments.

The European governing body has begun legal action in the United States in an attempt to obtain documents linked to the plan. UEFA has alleged possible financial mismanagement, while FIFA’s lawyers have described the legal effort as a smear campaign.

German football chief Bernd Neuendorf said the council had not received satisfactory answers during the meeting. Infantino told officials he would respond to the remaining questions in writing.

The dispute comes before FIFA’s presidential election, which will take place on 18 March in Rabat, Morocco. Candidates must be proposed by 18 November.

Despite the criticism, Infantino continues to have the backing of some members of the FIFA Council. Ahmed Yahya, president of the Mauritania football federation, supported Infantino remaining in charge.

Disciplinary review and Peace Prize

The council agreed to examine FIFA’s disciplinary procedures after the one-match World Cup suspension imposed on United States striker Folarin Balogun was lifted. The decision came under scrutiny after United States President Donald Trump reportedly contacted Infantino.

FIFA will also consider the future of its Peace Prize, which Infantino presented to Trump in December 2025. Ending the award is one of the options being considered.

The organisation is additionally looking at a possible increase in funding for its 211 member associations. Under the proposal, total funding for the 2027-2030 period would rise to 6.35 billion dollars, with each association potentially receiving about 25 million dollars.

The funding plan, along with updates on the disciplinary review and the Peace Prize, is expected to be discussed at FIFA’s next council meeting on 16 December in Doha, Qatar.