English FA presses Infantino over World Cup sale

In the office of the English Football Association, President Debbie Hewitt signs a letter to Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, demanding the publication of all documents of the abandoned project to open the World Cups to private investors. The request, made public tonight, comes before the FIFA Council meeting on 15 October.

FA transparency request

Hewitt wrote to Infantino insisting that every piece of the file be made public before the Council meeting scheduled for 15 October. She notes that transparency is essential to restore stakeholder confidence in the governance of world football.

The project, presented by the Italo‑Swiss Infantino in August, aimed to sell the organising rights of the World Cups to private capital. After a heated controversy, it was abandoned and the executive committee has not indicated who will lead the promised investigation.

UEFA reaction and legal issues

UEFA said it has lost confidence in Infantino and has filed legal requests with US courts to obtain the documents related to the project. This move marks an escalation of tensions between the European bodies and FIFA.

Hewitt also asked for the publication of the documents concerning the suspension of the sanction imposed on American striker Folarin Balogun, a suspension that followed a phone call from US President Donald Trump to Infantino.

On 6 September, Infantino confirmed that he would run for a new term at the FIFA Congress scheduled for March 2027. He remains the only declared candidate to date.

UEFA, for its part, has pledged to name a credible candidate to run against Infantino, highlighting its desire to reform the governance of world football.

This pressure exerted by the English FA illustrates the growing demand for transparency within international football, a phenomenon that could reshape relations between national federations and FIFA.