Key Takeaways
- • FIFA will let FIFA Council members review confidential documents on the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan, a source confirmed to ESPN, with access granted in person at FIFA headquarters in Zurich under specific conditions.
- • Council members have two weeks to express interest in consulting the FFE documents, following a UEFA letter of Oct. 19 that demanded answers by Monday's deadline.
- • The FFE plan, which would have placed a minority stake in a company running World Cup commercial interests with private investors, was abandoned in August after three continental confederations rejected it and UEFA threatened a boycott of FIFA competitions.
- • The $20 billion valuation and the exclusive award to Thrive Capital, founded by Joshua Kushner, are among the questions UEFA raised about the plan.
- • FIFA views UEFA's two-week deadline to answer all 42 areas in the letter as unfeasible, and the next FIFA Council meeting is not until December 16.
Summary
FIFA will open access to confidential documents detailing president Gianni Infantino's proposal to bring private investors into the World Cup, according to a source who confirmed the decision to ESPN. The documents relate to the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a company Infantino had sought to create to run the commercial interests of the World Cup and FIFA's other competitions, with private investors holding a minority stake. FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström communicated the measure to all FIFA Council members ahead of Monday's deadline.
To respect FIFA's confidentiality obligations, Council members have been invited to express interest within the next two weeks and will be able to consult the documents in person, under specific conditions, at FIFA headquarters in Zurich. According to the reports, the documents cover only FFE. A wider response to the other concerns in the letter is expected to reach Council members in due course.
The plan was abandoned in August after three continental confederations rejected it and UEFA threatened a boycott of FIFA competitions. A letter sent by UEFA on behalf of European Council members on Oct. 19 posed questions about FFE and a range of other matters concerning Infantino's presidency, including the decision to award exclusivity to Thrive Capital, founded by Joshua Kushner, to lead the private investor group. The letter also questioned the $20 billion valuation placed on the company, the timeline of the plan's development, why FIFA sought private investment given its healthy cash reserves, and whether Infantino stood to gain personally. The letter also sought clarity on the Folarin Balogun disciplinary case.
FIFA has regarded UEFA's two-week deadline to respond to all 42 areas covered in the letter as unfeasible. The governing body is occupied with the inaugural Under-15 World Cup in Azerbaijan, featuring 189 nations and 3,000 players, and is preparing for an extraordinary FIFA Congress on November 23 to appoint hosts for the 2031 and 2035 Women's World Cups. UEFA's ongoing legal action in the United States, where it has sought disclosure of documents linked to FFE, is also understood to have created legal boundaries.
The FIFA Council is not scheduled to meet again until December 16. UEFA has pledged to identify a credible alternative candidate to stand against Infantino in the FIFA presidential election next March, with candidacy submissions due Nov. 18. UEFA has been approached for comment regarding FIFA's invitation to Council members.
To respect FIFA's confidentiality obligations, Council members have been invited to express interest within the next two weeks and will be able to consult the documents in person, under specific conditions, at FIFA headquarters in Zurich. According to the reports, the documents cover only FFE. A wider response to the other concerns in the letter is expected to reach Council members in due course.
The plan was abandoned in August after three continental confederations rejected it and UEFA threatened a boycott of FIFA competitions. A letter sent by UEFA on behalf of European Council members on Oct. 19 posed questions about FFE and a range of other matters concerning Infantino's presidency, including the decision to award exclusivity to Thrive Capital, founded by Joshua Kushner, to lead the private investor group. The letter also questioned the $20 billion valuation placed on the company, the timeline of the plan's development, why FIFA sought private investment given its healthy cash reserves, and whether Infantino stood to gain personally. The letter also sought clarity on the Folarin Balogun disciplinary case.
FIFA has regarded UEFA's two-week deadline to respond to all 42 areas covered in the letter as unfeasible. The governing body is occupied with the inaugural Under-15 World Cup in Azerbaijan, featuring 189 nations and 3,000 players, and is preparing for an extraordinary FIFA Congress on November 23 to appoint hosts for the 2031 and 2035 Women's World Cups. UEFA's ongoing legal action in the United States, where it has sought disclosure of documents linked to FFE, is also understood to have created legal boundaries.
The FIFA Council is not scheduled to meet again until December 16. UEFA has pledged to identify a credible alternative candidate to stand against Infantino in the FIFA presidential election next March, with candidacy submissions due Nov. 18. UEFA has been approached for comment regarding FIFA's invitation to Council members.
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