FIFA President Gianni Infantino has offered to commission an independent external review of the organization’s governance framework amid mounting pressure from several regional football confederations and ongoing legal challenges. The move comes in response to criticism surrounding a controversial initiative to sell stakes in the FIFA World Cup to private investors, a plan that Infantino has since abandoned.

In a letter addressed to FIFA’s 211 member associations and the FIFA Council, Infantino proposed reviewing the body’s decision-making processes, emphasizing the need to enhance transparency, participation, and accountability in major strategic initiatives. He also expressed willingness to consult on the functions and responsibilities of key FIFA entities, including the president, the bureau, the council, and the congress. However, he made clear that the proposed review would not encompass the now-defunct scheme, known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which had sparked much of the current controversy.

The FFE plan, revealed earlier this year, sought to raise funds by selling shares in the World Cup’s commercial rights, promising increased financial benefits to member associations. Critics, notably the presidents of UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and CONCACAF, condemned the proposal and called for Infantino’s resignation, arguing that the initiative risked undermining FIFA’s governance and transparency. These confederations have also filed three separate legal actions against FIFA in the United States.

Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, underscored the importance of ensuring that FIFA’s financial success benefits football globally. In a letter urging the FIFA Council to meet in Zurich on October 15, he called for either a definitive decision regarding the allocation of FIFA’s excess reserves or the establishment of a clear timeline and process for their review, approval, and distribution.

While Infantino has not directly addressed calls for his resignation, his letter acknowledged the concerns raised by the public disclosure of the FFE plan. He clarified that the proposal had been prematurely leaked before FIFA’s institutional review process was complete and before it could be formally presented to the Council and member associations. According to Infantino, this premature disclosure contributed to misunderstandings about the status of the initiative.

The developments occur ahead of FIFA’s presidential election scheduled for March 2027, with critics suggesting that recent financial promises to member associations may influence the electoral process. Infantino’s offer of an external governance review seeks to address some of these tensions by reinforcing FIFA’s commitment to transparency and effective decision-making, though some within the football community continue to question whether such measures will fully resolve the underlying governance issues.