FIFA president Gianni Infantino has proposed asking the governing body's council to commission an independent external review of how major strategic decisions are made, following sustained criticism over an abandoned investment project. In a letter sent Monday to FIFA Council members and the presidents of all 211 national associations, he also outlined a structured consultation on possible governance reforms, according to the Associated Press and Reuters.
The proposal is due to go before the FIFA Council at its October 15 meeting in Zurich. Infantino said the assessment would examine the current governance framework for major initiatives and recommend improvements. He also proposed a direct, time-limited consultation with confederations, member associations and other stakeholders about the roles of the president, council, congress and other leadership bodies.
The move follows the collapse of FIFA Forward Enterprise, a plan under which private investors could have acquired shares connected to the World Cup and other FIFA competitions. Infantino acknowledged in his letter that the project became public before FIFA completed its intended institutional process, creating concern and an impression that decisions had already been taken. He maintained that no final decision had been made.
Opposition to the project widened across world football after it emerged. Several prominent European associations withdrew support for Infantino, while the football bodies for Europe, Asia, and North and Central America pressed for independent scrutiny. Six Nordic national associations said in a joint statement this month that they had lost confidence in his leadership and wanted binding safeguards against private ownership of FIFA competitions.
The letter represents an offer to seek a review, not a completed decision to establish one. The council must approve the proposal, and the scope, leadership and access to documents would determine how independent the exercise becomes. The Guardian reported that Infantino's letter did not specifically commit the review to investigating either the failed investment plan or a separate controversy involving United States player Folarin Balogun.
Infantino said FIFA would continue looking for sustainable ways to increase resources for football even though the investment proposal had been withdrawn, while emphasizing a stronger process. The October council meeting is therefore the next formal test of whether the organization will adopt external scrutiny and broader consultation. The dispute also carries weight before FIFA's presidential election scheduled for March 2027, in which Infantino is seeking another term.
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