Infantino proposes an external review

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has proposed an independent external review of the organisation’s governance after months of criticism over a failed private investment plan.

In a letter sent to the FIFA Council and the presidents of all 211 member associations, Infantino said he would ask whether FIFA should commission an external assessment of its decision-making framework for major strategic projects.

The proposed review would examine which bodies should be involved when FIFA considers significant commercial or institutional changes. That includes the respective roles of the president, the Bureau of the Council, the full Council and the FIFA Congress.

Infantino also suggested structured consultations with the six continental confederations, national associations and other stakeholders on improving transparency, participation and accountability.

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According to TV 2 Sport’s report, the initiative follows a turbulent period in which Infantino’s leadership has faced unusually broad internal resistance.

Investment proposal provoked fierce opposition

The crisis developed around FIFA Forward Enterprise, a proposed commercial company that could have sold a minority stake in rights connected to FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors.

The plan considered selling approximately 20 per cent of the business. Infantino argued that outside investment could generate additional money for football development without handing investors control over sporting decisions.

The proposal became public before it had been formally presented to the Council and member associations. That caused widespread concern that a major decision involving FIFA’s most valuable commercial assets was being advanced without sufficient consultation.

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UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation were among the bodies opposing the project. FIFA eventually withdrew it in July following intense criticism and threats of wider institutional resistance.

“It remained a proposal, not a decision, and has now been withdrawn,” Infantino wrote in the letter seen by Reuters and published by CNA.

Review does not automatically investigate past controversies

Infantino’s proposal represents a significant shift in tone, but its scope remains important. He has offered a review of FIFA’s general governance framework rather than explicitly ordering an independent investigation into the handling of FIFA Forward Enterprise.

He has also not promised that the external assessment will examine every recent controversy individually. Critics have demanded greater transparency over both the failed investment project and other decisions taken under his leadership.

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The proposal must first be considered by the FIFA Council. Suggestions received before its meeting in Zurich on October 15 could be discussed there, while any changes to FIFA’s statutes would ultimately require approval from Congress.

Infantino has also assured member associations that their access to FIFA development and solidarity programmes will not depend on whether they supported or opposed his proposals.

Money and power remain at the centre of the dispute

The governance debate is closely connected to a wider struggle over FIFA’s finances. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani have called for part of FIFA’s reserves to be distributed directly to national associations.

They have proposed payments of at least $10 million to each of FIFA’s 211 members during the next financial cycle. Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has also supported demands for a greater distribution of the organisation’s wealth.

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The request would involve approximately $2.1 billion from reserves reported to be around $6 billion. Supporters argue that FIFA, as a non-profit body, should invest more of its surplus directly in football rather than seeking private capital.

Infantino is preparing to seek re-election in Rabat in March 2027. The proposed review may help restore confidence, but its credibility will depend on who conducts it, how independent that person or body is and whether its recommendations lead to binding changes.

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