Infantino apologises to FIFA Council, but members say key questions remain unanswered

FIFA President Gianni Infantino apologised to the FIFA Council in Zurich on 15 October 2026. The meeting lasted about three and a half hours.

It was the council's first meeting since his FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan emerged. The plan proposed selling part of FIFA's commercial rights to private investors. Infantino dropped it shortly afterwards. BBC Sport says he scrapped it within days. Al Jazeera and ESPN say it was launched and dropped in July.

Council members did not receive the FFE documents they had requested. According to FIFA Vice-President Debbie Hewitt, Infantino asked them to submit their questions in writing. In a FIFA video statement, Infantino said he would answer "in due course".

Other issues raised included the FIFA Peace Prize and Folarin Balogun's World Cup red-card case. Balogun's suspension was set aside after US President Donald Trump intervened. BBC Sport says Trump asked for the decision to be reviewed. BBC Sport understands the council was shown a proposal to amend the disciplinary code to prevent a repeat. The reports do not say whether it was adopted.

UEFA has gone to US courts seeking FFE-related documents, in connection with possible criminal proceedings against Infantino. The FIFA presidential election is due in March.

What is reported

According to Al Jazeera and ESPN, which carried near-identical reports, the plan was valued at $4.2bn. A subsidiary running tournament commercial rights was to be at least 20 percent owned by investors led by Joshua Kushner, brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. The reports do not include a response from the investor group. The same outlets report that UEFA's filings allege possible mismanagement of FIFA finances, and that FIFA will review whether to continue the Peace Prize. BBC Sport reports that UEFA lodged claims in three US courts.

According to BBC Sport, Infantino will seek a third term. The candidate deadline is 18 November.

What is disputed

Outlets transcribe Hewitt's remark on Infantino's fitness to lead differently, though the meaning is the same. ESPN quoted her as saying: "If he doesn't answer those questions, no, he is not fit to be the FIFA president." BBC Sport's version includes the word "now" and adds: "that was what was shared in the meeting."

What each side says

Infantino said FFE "was a proposal and in no way a done deal", according to BBC Sport. He apologised for "mistakes" in communication and consultation.

BBC Sport quoted Hewitt as saying: "What he really apologised for was not bringing it to the Council. If you regret it that deeply, share it with us." She added: "From my position, nothing has shifted."

German football chief Bernd Neuendorf said "No satisfactory answers were provided", according to ESPN. UEFA has repeatedly called on Infantino to stand down. The reports do not include a FIFA response to UEFA's allegations.

Analysis

The meeting appears to have left the core dispute unresolved: council members want the FFE documents, and Infantino has offered written answers on an unspecified timeline. Several paths are possible. Written answers could ease concerns among some members, or deepen them if they are seen as incomplete. UEFA's legal efforts in the US and Switzerland could shape the debate, though their status is not described in the reports. The 18 November candidate deadline is a key marker. Whether a credible challenger emerges, or Infantino again runs unopposed, may indicate how widely the concerns raised by European members are shared across FIFA's membership.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.