The $20 billion project puts Infantino under pressure

FIFA has decided to allow its council members access to key documents related to its proposed $20 billion venture, "FIFA Forward Enterprise," which aimed to take over the organization of the World Cup and other FIFA events. This move follows the widespread controversy surrounding the project, which FIFA abandoned last summer just days after its announcement, amid sharp criticism of President Gianni Infantino's leadership and the way the proposal was handled. FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström sent a letter to council members inviting them to review the project documents. The review will take place at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, and will be subject to specific terms and conditions. This development coincides with the deadline set by UEFA for FIFA to respond to a series of questions regarding Infantino's leadership, amidst growing European pressure for reforms within the international federation and opposition to the Swiss-Italian president's re-election. European federations had demanded clarifications on several issues following the abandonment of the FIFA Forward Enterprise project. Infantino had previously proposed an independent review of decision-making mechanisms within the international football organization in an attempt to address criticisms regarding governance and transparency. Last October, UEFA sent a letter to FIFA containing over 100 questions covering various aspects of the federation's management, including the proposed commercial enterprise project and the FIFA Peace Prize, setting a deadline of November 2nd for responses. FIFA deemed the two-week deadline set by UEFA for addressing such a large number of questions unrealistic, given its other organizational commitments, including preparations for a new World Cup tournament and the Under-15 Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, as well as preparations for an extraordinary congress on November 23rd to determine the host countries for the 2031 and 2035 Women's World Cups. FIFA confirmed it would respond to its council members in due course, emphasizing that access to key project documents was limited to council members only. Regarding the presidency, Infantino received a significant boost just over a week ago when Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, announced his support for Infantino's candidacy for a fourth term. This strengthened his position in the re-election race and further isolated the European opposition to his continued leadership. Infantino is scheduled to run for FIFA president in March 2027, with November 18th set as the deadline for potential candidates to submit their nomination papers. Discussions continue regarding the future governance of FIFA and the extent of the reforms required within the organization.