Infantino Apologizes to FIFA Council Over World Cup Plan, Faces Calls for More Transparency

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has apologized to the FIFA Council for his World Cup commercial rights sell-off plan, but members of the council indicated he is not fit to lead unless he releases all associated documents and addresses key questions.

The FIFA Council convened in Zurich for its first meeting since Infantino's proposal for a "Fifa Forward Enterprise" (FFE) plan, which aimed to transfer a portion of the organization's commercial rights to a private investment firm, was scrapped after it emerged publicly.

During the three-and-a-half-hour meeting, Infantino also faced inquiries regarding a suspended red-card ban for player Folarin Balogun, the FIFA Peace Prize, and funding for national associations.

Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt, who also serves as a FIFA vice-president, stated that many questions posed during the meeting remained unanswered. "One of the disappointing things is that we didn't get answers to anything that we had specifically requested – for example getting the papers from FFE," Hewitt said.

Hewitt recounted asking "why not?" and being told to submit questions in writing. "I think the man has to answer those questions and if he doesn't answer those questions now, he's not fit to be Fifa president – and that was what was shared in the meeting," she added.

According to Hewitt, Infantino's apology specifically addressed his failure to present the FFE proposal to the council before it became public. "If you regret it that deeply, share it with us," she commented.

When asked if UEFA's stance on Infantino had changed, Hewitt stated, "From my position, nothing has shifted. I've no new information that makes me feel any differently, other than we do have a president who is apologetic."