Infantino under pressure to include abandoned World Cup sell-off plan in external Fifa review

By the Editorial Team · Friday, September 25, 2026

Fifa President Gianni Infantino plans to seek approval from the council for an external review of the organization's governance, but council members are pushing to include investigations into the abandoned Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme and the controversial Balogun suspension. The outcome of the upcoming October meeting in Zurich will be pivotal in determining whether these past incidents are scrutinized, impacting Fifa's transparency and Infantino's leadership credibility.

Fifa President Gianni Infantino is facing internal pressure from council members to include both the abandoned World Cup sell-off plan and the Folarin Balogun suspension controversy in a proposed external review of Fifa’s governance. Infantino announced in a letter sent to all 211 Fifa member associations on Monday that he would seek the council’s approval to commission a review of "Fifa’s current governance framework for major strategic initiatives" at their next meeting scheduled for 15 October in Zurich. However, the scope and terms of the review have become a point of contention within the organization.

Several council members, including Debbie Hewitt, chair of The Football Association, have called for full transparency regarding the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme, which was abandoned last month, as well as the circumstances surrounding the decision to lift Balogun’s suspension during the World Cup. This suspension was initially imposed ahead of the US national team’s round of 16 match against Belgium but was overturned following a phone call from former US President Donald Trump to Infantino.

Hewitt’s request for access to all related documents has garnered considerable support among council members who argue that any governance review lacking a retrospective examination of these incidents would be incomplete and lack credibility. Some insiders suggest that Infantino’s approach—focused on reviewing governance structures going forward rather than past controversies—aims to sidestep direct scrutiny of his own role.

The Fifa Council consists of 28 representatives from the six confederations, eight vice-presidents, Infantino himself, and Fifa’s secretary general, Mattias Grafström. Attempts by a group of council members to convene an extraordinary general meeting to discuss the Balogun affair were unsuccessful, as they failed to secure the 19 votes required.

Bernd Neuendorf, president of the German Football Federation, voiced skepticism over Infantino’s review proposal, calling it a “cynical electioneering” move designed to bolster his chances of re-election. Neuendorf asserted that while Fifa recognizes the need for change, Infantino may not be the right person to lead the reform efforts.

In response, Infantino emphasized that his proposal had received positive feedback from various regions worldwide and stressed the importance of ongoing dialogue among stakeholders. He stated, “I am looking forward to receiving feedback from everyone,” highlighting his intention to engage with member associations as discussions progress.

The upcoming council meeting in Zurich is expected to be a critical juncture for deciding the extent of the governance review and addressing unresolved questions surrounding both the FFE scheme and Balogun’s suspension, with implications for Fifa’s transparency and leadership accountability moving forward.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.