The Football Association (FA) chair Debbie Hewitt has publicly questioned Gianni Infantino's suitability to remain as FIFA president following a contentious FIFA Council meeting in Zurich. Hewitt criticized Infantino’s lack of transparency, stating that without clear answers to outstanding issues, particularly concerning the aborted FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan, Infantino is “not fit to be FIFA president.”
The council convened for its first meeting since revelations in July about Infantino’s secretive proposal to sell private equity stakes in the World Cup. The plan was swiftly abandoned three days after it became public, but concerns over governance and communication persist. Hewitt and representatives from UEFA pressed FIFA for access to documents related to the FFE initiative, but these were not provided, partly due to limited meeting time.
German FA president Bernd Neuendorf expressed confidence that a credible challenger could emerge to contest Infantino in the upcoming FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 18. However, opinions on the council remain divided. Ahmed Yahya, the Mauritania FA president, indicated that a majority supported Infantino’s continuation. While former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has been suggested as a potential contender, UEFA’s ongoing search for a unity candidate remains confidential. Ramon Vega, a former Switzerland international and Tottenham Hotspur defender, is currently the only confirmed alternative to Infantino but is not widely viewed as a strong candidate. Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global football development, was present at the Zurich meeting but did not comment on potential candidacy.
Hewitt emphasized the importance of presenting alternative leadership options in the election to uphold democratic principles within FIFA, where all 211 member associations have voting rights.
The council meeting was described by Hewitt as candid and open, albeit without resolution on many outstanding concerns. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin departed early amid ongoing tensions between UEFA and FIFA, which recently escalated when FIFA accused UEFA of conducting a “smear campaign” against Infantino. UEFA has also threatened criminal proceedings over the FFE episode.
Infantino apologized during the meeting, but Neuendorf suggested the apology related more to poor communication rather than the substance of the FFE plan itself. Infantino declined to engage directly with the media following the council gathering, instead issuing a brief video statement reaffirming that the FFE proposal was never finalized.
Hewitt’s stance remains unchanged since the FA withdrew support for Infantino in August. Both she and Neuendorf called for substantial governance reforms at FIFA, signaling skepticism that such changes can occur under Infantino’s leadership.
Despite European criticism, Infantino retains considerable backing outside the continent. African and South American members remain broadly supportive, with some Asian representation divided. Ahmed Yahya voiced support for FIFA’s recently unveiled funding scheme that intends to allocate $15 million to each member association over the next four years, supplementing previous financial assistance.
Several unresolved matters, including the suspension of Folarin Balogun’s World Cup red card and the FIFA Peace Prize awarded to former U.S. President Donald Trump, were deferred for further review. FIFA’s legal and social responsibility committees are tasked with assessing these issues ahead of the next council meeting in Doha on December 16.