FIFA president Gianni Infantino has opened the door to talks over reforms to the organisation’s governance, proposing an independent external review following the backlash over his abandoned investment plan.
Infantino has written to the FIFA Council and presidents of all 211 member associations proposing an independent review of FIFA’s governance framework for major strategic initiatives.
The review would examine how major decisions are made within world football’s governing body and recommend potential improvements.
Infantino is also proposing a structured consultation with confederations, member associations and other stakeholders on how FIFA’s decision-making can be strengthened. The proposals include discussions around the respective roles of the FIFA president, Bureau, Council and Congress, as well as ways to improve transparency, participation and accountability.
The move comes after significant opposition to Infantino’s FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which would have involved selling a 20% stake in FIFA’s commercial rights, including those connected to the World Cup, to private investors.
The plan was abandoned in July after opposition from several football bodies, including UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF.
Infantino acknowledged that the proposal became public before it had gone through FIFA’s full institutional process.
“The proposal entered the public domain before FIFA’s planned institutional process had been completed and before it could be presented in full to the Council and the member associations,” he wrote. “I recognise that, without the full context, this caused concern and created the impression that decisions had already been taken. They had not.”
Infantino also insisted that the FFE proposal was never intended to surrender FIFA’s control over sporting decisions.
He said the plan had explored whether a minority stake in a FIFA-controlled commercial company could generate additional resources for football development, but stressed that it remained a proposal and required the necessary approvals before it could proceed.
🚨🚨| NEW: FIFA President Gianni Infantino proposes an 𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 of how the governing body makes major decisions. 📋🌍
Infantino acknowledges that FIFA’s handling of a previous investment plan had caused concern among members.
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The controversy has intensified pressure for greater transparency within FIFA.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani have also called for an independent review of FIFA’s financial reserves and proposed distributing at least $10 million to each of FIFA’s 211 member associations during the 2027-30 cycle.
England Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt, who is also a FIFA vice-president, has separately called for the release of documents relating to the abandoned investment plan and an independent review of the proposal.
Infantino’s latest proposals will be considered ahead of the FIFA Council meeting scheduled for October 15.
He said submissions received before that meeting could be discussed at the gathering, while any changes to FIFA’s statutes would ultimately require approval from Congress.
Despite the pressure, Infantino made clear that he intends to remain in charge of FIFA.
“I remain fully committed to leading FIFA and confident in what we can achieve together,” he wrote.
Infantino is expected to seek a fourth term as FIFA president at the election scheduled for March 2027 in Rabat. His latest move therefore comes at a significant point in the debate over how the organisation should be governed.
