Release FIFA World Cup plan documents, FA chair tells Infantino

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Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt has called on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to release all documents relating to the governing body’s controversial plan to sell a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup.

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According to BBC Sport on Thursday, Hewitt, who is also a FIFA vice-president, made the demand in a letter sent to Infantino and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom.

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She also called for the FIFA Council to be given a written explanation for the decision to suspend the one-match ban handed to United States forward Folarin Balogun during the World Cup.

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Hewitt wants the documents made available before the next FIFA Council meeting, scheduled for 15 October.

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The letter raises concerns about governance and what the FA chair described as a breakdown in culture within FIFA.

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Pressure over abandoned FIFA plan

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Infantino has faced growing scrutiny over the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.

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The plan would have involved the creation of a new company to manage the commercial and ticketing rights of FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.

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Under the proposal, a 21% stake in the new company would have been sold to a private investment company.

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The plan was eventually scrapped following widespread opposition from national football associations.

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Hewitt has called for an independent review into how the FFE proposal was developed, who was involved and how the private investment opportunity was put out to tender.

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The controversy has also led to an increasingly public dispute between FIFA and UEFA.

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UEFA has begun preparing legal proceedings in three US courts over the FFE proposal and has demanded the release of documents relating to the plan.

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FIFA has rejected the criticism, accusing UEFA of conducting a “smear campaign” against Infantino and the organisation’s leadership.

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Infantino, 56, is seeking a fourth term as FIFA president in March. Potential challengers have until 18 November to find an alternative candidate.

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*Questions over Balogun ban*

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The Football Association had already raised concerns over the handling of Balogun’s suspension during the World Cup.

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The United States forward was shown a straight red card for a foul on defender Tarik Muharemovic during his country’s 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the last 32.

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The red card carried an automatic one-match suspension, meaning Balogun would normally have been expected to miss the last-16 meeting with Belgium.

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However, FIFA announced that the suspension would be suspended for one year, allowing the striker to feature in the match.

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FIFA cited a rule that allows disciplinary sanctions to be suspended but did not provide a detailed explanation for the decision.

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The FA had requested documents relating to the decision and expressed concerns about possible political intervention.

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United States President Donald Trump later confirmed that he had contacted Infantino and asked for Balogun’s ban to be reviewed.

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The incident added to concerns within the FA about FIFA’s decision-making and governance.

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*Infantino faces growing scrutiny*

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The Balogun controversy was followed by the FFE proposal, which further strained relations between FIFA and several national associations.

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UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation subsequently accused FIFA and Infantino of damaging trust in the organisation.

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Several national associations, including England, Wales and Scotland, have withdrawn previous letters of support for Infantino’s re-election.

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Infantino nevertheless retains significant backing in other parts of world football, with the confederations representing Africa, South America and Oceania reiterating their support.

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After the FFE proposal was abandoned, Infantino held a meeting with the FIFA management board in Rabat, Morocco.

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However, the FIFA Council has yet to receive a full explanation of the controversial plan.

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That is expected to change at the next council meeting on 15 October, when Infantino will face questions from Hewitt and the other 35 members of FIFA’s governing council.

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