ZURICH — FIFA President Gianni Infantino has proposed an independent review of the football governing body’s decision-making process and called for consultations with its 211 member associations following the controversy surrounding his now-abandoned private investment plan.
Infantino made the proposal in a letter sent Monday to the FIFA Council and presidents of all 211 member associations, outlining two possible steps to strengthen governance and transparency within the organization.
The FIFA president said he would ask the Council to consider commissioning an independent external review of the organization’s governance framework for major strategic initiatives.
He also proposed a direct, structured and time-limited consultation involving FIFA’s confederations, member associations and other relevant stakeholders.
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According to Infantino, the consultation would consider how major decisions are made, including the respective roles of the FIFA president, Bureau, Council and Congress. It would also examine ways to strengthen transparency, participation and accountability.
The proposals are expected to be considered at the next FIFA Council meeting scheduled for October 15. Any changes to FIFA’s statutes would ultimately require approval by the FIFA Congress.
The move follows intense criticism over the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which envisaged creating a commercial entity that could attract private investment linked to FIFA’s major competitions.
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FIFA subsequently withdrew the proposal after opposition from several football confederations, including UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF. FIFA has maintained that the FFE was only a proposal and had not been formally approved.
Infantino acknowledged in his letter that the handling of the proposal had created concern, saying that the absence of full context had given the impression that decisions had already been taken.
UEFA has meanwhile pursued access to documents relating to the investment plan and has indicated that it is considering legal action in Switzerland over alleged “criminal mismanagement.” FIFA has rejected UEFA’s accusations and described its legal efforts as a “smear campaign.”
Infantino, who became FIFA president in 2016, has also confirmed that he intends to seek another term in office at the organization’s presidential election scheduled for March 2027.
He said in his latest letter that member associations’ positions on governance proposals would not affect their treatment by FIFA, including access to its development and solidarity programmes.
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The proposed review now puts FIFA’s governance structure and decision-making procedures firmly on the agenda ahead of the October Council meeting.
