FIFA plans limited access to World Cup sell-off documents

FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström sent a letter Monday inviting Council members to register within two weeks to inspect documents on the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal in person at Zurich headquarters under confidentiality conditions. The $20 billion plan would have given private investors a minority stake in commercial operations of the World Cup and other competitions; FIFA scrapped it earlier this summer days after it was unveiled. Grafström stated the documents will be available at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich, under strict review protocols to preserve confidentiality. The material currently available is understood to relate only to the proposal. UEFA had set a November 2 deadline for answers to over 100 questions on FFE, the FIFA Peace Prize awarded to Donald Trump, and Folarin Balogun's suspension. FIFA considered the timeframe unfeasible given its workload hosting a youth World Cup in Baku and says a broader response will follow. UEFA's letter stated that the withdrawal of FFE, the acknowledgement of mistakes and the announcement of potential governance reforms do not answer how the relevant decisions were taken or why the FIFA Council was not involved at the appropriate stage. Infantino apologized at a council meeting and requested written questions. An Asian football president has endorsed Infantino's re-election bid ahead of the March 2027 election, with nominations closing November 18.