FIFA to let Council members view confidential FFE documents in Zurich

Documents for council members

FIFA has agreed to open key documents on the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal to members of its Council. In a letter sent on Monday, 2 November, secretary general Mattias Grafstrom invited Council members to view the material. Members who want access must register their interest by 16 November and travel to FIFA's headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, where viewing is allowed only under specific conditions designed to protect confidentiality. Sources say it is not yet clear how many documents, or which ones, members will be allowed to see, because UEFA's ongoing legal case in the United States has created legal boundaries. For now the material relates solely to FFE, and a wider response covering the rest of UEFA's letter is expected in due course.

The FFE plan and UEFA's questions

Gianni Infantino sought to create FFE to run the commercial interests of the World Cup and FIFA's other competitions, with private investors holding a minority stake. Three continental confederations rejected the plan and UEFA threatened a boycott of FIFA competitions, so the plan was abandoned in August. On 19 October, UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis wrote to Grafstrom on behalf of the European members of the FIFA Council, setting out 42 areas where clarity was sought. The questions included the decision to give Thrive Capital exclusivity to lead the FFE private investor group, a firm founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of the son-in-law of United States President Donald Trump. The letter also asked for disclosure of documents in the Folarin Balogun disciplinary case and for assurances around potential conflicts of interest. Sources understand FIFA regards the two-week window to answer all 42 areas as unfeasible.

Deadline passes without a reply

UEFA asked for substantive answers by 2 November, and by midday Central European Time on Monday no response had reached it. Council members first raised concerns in person at the FIFA Council meeting on 15 October, and Football Association chair and FIFA vice-president Debbie Hewitt said members were then asked to submit questions in writing. Theodoridis put the stakes plainly in his letter.

“These questions require answers now.”

On 20 October a FIFA spokesperson said the organisation intended to reply to questions from Council members but would not discuss internal documents with media. The spokesperson added:

“The FIFA governance regulations state that Council meetings and their associated documentation are confidential.”

What comes next

The FIFA Council is not due to meet again until 16 December. Candidacy submissions for the FIFA presidential election close on 18 November. An extraordinary FIFA Congress on 23 November will appoint the hosts for the 2031 and 2035 Women's World Cups, while FIFA is also preparing the inaugural Under-15 World Cup in Azerbaijan, featuring 189 nations and 3,000 players. UEFA has pledged to identify a credible alternative candidate to stand against Infantino in the presidential election due in March.