Apology, but the plan is withdrawn

At the FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on Thursday, 15 October, Gianni Infantino apologised for the errors made in managing and communicating the Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. The plan would have sold stakes in World Cup commercial rights to private investors. FIFA said in a statement that the proposal has been withdrawn for good and cannot be presented again in any form. Infantino told the council that the aim had been to channel more investment into football, always subject to approval by the council and member associations. He also admitted he had not informed the executive members about the plan.

Speaking after the meeting, Infantino stressed the point that the plan never became a decision.

“But what is important to remember is that it was a proposal, so in no way a done deal.”

Outside lawyers briefed the council on the legal background of the project, but the details remain confidential because of ongoing court proceedings in the United States. The plan first surfaced in a report in The Times on 28 July, which said Infantino wanted a company to manage the commercial interests of FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, with a minority stake open to private investors. The lead investor was to be Thrive, a firm founded by Josh Kushner, the brother of Donald Trump's son-in-law. Infantino dropped the plan on 1 August after three continental confederations rejected it.

UEFA keeps up the pressure

Debbie Hewitt, chair of the Football Association and a FIFA vice-president, described the three-and-a-half-hour session as very frank. She said members had received no answers to the specific questions they had asked, and that Infantino is not fit to be president unless he answers them and shares the FFE documents. Bernd Neuendorf, president of the German Football Association (DFB), said after the session that the goal is to see a different person at the top of FIFA.

“That is the goal, that we would like to see a different person at the top of FIFA.”

At a UEFA meeting in Berlin a week earlier, all member associations except Azerbaijan backed replacing Infantino, according to Deutsche Welle. The next FIFA presidential election is set for March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco, and nominations close on 18 November. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has ruled out a candidacy, and Nasser Al-Khelaifi is not available. Victor Montagliani is reportedly not interested, while British media have floated Arsène Wenger and Michele Kang, though neither has been confirmed or denied. Infantino intends to seek re-election and has the backing of African, South American and much of Oceanian associations, while Asian representatives are divided. UEFA plans to meet again before 17 November.

Balogun ruling and the peace prize

A one-match ban on US forward Folarin Balogun was suspended during the last World Cup, allowing him to play the round-of-16 match against Belgium. Europa Press reported that the suspension followed a call from Trump to Infantino. FIFA's Legal Committee will review its disciplinary procedures, with results due at the December council meeting. The Guardian reports that several council members demanded the peace prize be abolished, while others want it depoliticised. The social responsibility committee is to make a recommendation before the council meets in Doha on 16 December. Trump received the award at the men's World Cup draw in Washington in December 2025, and the selection process has never been made public. Article two of FIFA's statutes bars political or governmental interference in football.

The surplus plan behind the offer

The offer rests on a surplus programme that would use part of FIFA's reserves to more than double the funding planned for 2027 to 2030. Europa Press gives the resulting total as 6,350 million dollars, while ANSA reports 6.25 billion dollars in one article and 6.35 billion dollars in another. The surplus forecast has not yet been audited. Under the plan each of the 211 federations would receive 25 million dollars, and Infantino said that during his ten years as president the sum per federation had grown from 1 million dollars to that level.