In a letter sent to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt, a FIFA vice‑president, has demanded that all documents relating to Infantino’s controversial proposal to sell a 21 % stake in World Cup commercial and ticketing rights be made public before the next FIFA Council meeting on 15 October.
Hewitt also requested that the Council receive a written explanation for the decision to cancel United States forward Folarin Balogun’s one‑match suspension at the World Cup, a move that has drawn criticism from national associations and the FA itself.
Infantino’s aborted FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan, which would have created a new company to manage commercial rights for all competitions, was rejected after widespread opposition from national associations. The proposal was later abandoned, but the FA says the process by which it was conceived and the tender for private investment remain opaque.
Last month, UEFA began preparing criminal proceedings against Infantino in three U.S. courts over the FFE plan and demanded the release of all related documents. FIFA has counter‑accused UEFA of a “smear campaign” against its leadership.
Infantino, 56, is up for a fourth election in March, with opponents having until 18 November to nominate an alternative candidate. The FA’s letter to the FIFA Council, also sent to FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström, calls for an independent review of the FFE process and for transparency on the Balogun suspension decision.
Balogun, 25, was allowed to play against Belgium in the last 16 after a red card in the last 32, despite FIFA’s initial decision to suspend him for one match. The FA, which had previously supported Infantino’s re‑election, expressed deep concerns about political interference, noting that U.S. President Donald Trump had called Infantino to discuss the ban.
While many European associations have withdrawn support for Infantino, confederations in Africa, South America and Oceania continue to back him. The next month will see Infantino face Hewitt and the 35 other FIFA Council members as the FA demands answers and full disclosure.
