In a significant escalation of the crisis gripping world football, FIFA has confirmed it will grant members of its ruling council access to select documents concerning the controversial “World Cup sell-off” plan. The move follows intense pressure from UEFA, which is actively lobbying for the removal of FIFA president Gianni Infantino ahead of his bid for re-election this March.
The decision was communicated via a letter sent by FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom to council members. The correspondence arrived as FIFA faced a critical deadline to address a series of pointed inquiries from European football’s governing body regarding the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme.
However, the level of transparency remains limited. It is understood that council members will not be permitted to take the records with them; instead, they will be granted access to “key documents” only during in-person visits to FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich.
The controversy centers on allegations that Mr. Infantino orchestrated the FFE project in total secrecy, working alongside a small circle of hand-picked advisers and investors. UEFA alleges that this arrangement bypassed FIFA’s established governance protocols, deliberately excluding the FIFA Council, regional confederations, and individual member associations from the decision-making process.
Most damningly, UEFA has accused the FIFA president of underselling tournament rights for personal financial benefit. The European body has signaled that it is prepared to escalate the matter to Swiss authorities, potentially pursuing a criminal complaint against Mr. Infantino for mismanagement of funds and institutional malpractice.
The fallout from the allegations has left Mr. Infantino in a precarious position as he attempts to secure another term at the helm of the organization. The pressure campaign against him has gained significant momentum in recent weeks, with several high-profile football associations—including those from England, Scotland, and Wales—officially withdrawing their support for his presidency. The public rupture between FIFA and its European counterparts marks one of the most volatile periods for the governing body in recent history.
FIFA has yet to comment on the specific contents of the documents being released or whether the in-person viewing policy will satisfy the demands for greater accountability. Critics argue that limiting access to the Zurich headquarters is an attempt to restrict the spread of information and prevent a full-scale audit of the FFE scheme.
As the election date approaches, the sport finds itself at a crossroads, with the future of its leadership hanging in the balance. With legal threats looming and the governing body’s internal processes under intense scrutiny, the release of these documents is expected to become the focal point of the upcoming election cycle.
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