Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt has launched a stern challenge against FIFA President Gianni Infantino, writing directly to the head of world football to demand the immediate release of all internal documents concerning a scrapped plan to sell off commercial stakes in the World Cup. Hewitt, who also serves as a FIFA vice-president, called for an independent review into the contentious proposal alongside full disclosure regarding the governance surrounding the tournament’s commercial structure. Following the revelations, the English FA officially withdrew its support for Infantino’s upcoming re-election campaign.
The controversy centers on the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, an aborted scheme that would have fundamentally reshaped how the global tournament operates. Under the FFE project, a new commercial company was to be established to control ticketing and commercial rights for all FIFA competitions, including the Men’s World Cup. The £15bn plot involved selling a 21 per cent stake in this new commercial entity to a private investment firm linked to individuals connected with Donald Trump. However, the proposal met immediate, widespread opposition from national associations across the world, forcing FIFA to abandon the initiative entirely.
Hewitt’s formal letter isn’t limited to commercial sell-offs; it also zeroes in on disciplinary interventions at the highest level. The FA chairwoman demanded all files and communications related to the decision to suspend a World Cup ban imposed on United States forward Folarin Balogun. The FA was troubled by the situation from the very beginning and had previously requested the release of documents regarding the overturned suspension during the World Cup itself.
The decision to set aside Balogun’s World Cup ban followed a personal telephone conversation between Donald Trump and Infantino. Hewitt has insisted that the FIFA Council must now receive a detailed written explanation outlining the precise justification for cancelling the US striker’s suspension. By bringing the matter back into focus, the FA is highlighting concerns over transparency and governance procedures inside FIFA’s executive hierarchy.
The growing rift arrives at a critical moment for Infantino as he prepares to seek a fourth term as FIFA president in March. First elected in 2016, the 56-year-old administrator now faces intense scrutiny from key European leadership. Potential rival candidates have until an 18 November deadline to enter the presidential race, and the FA’s withdrawn support ensures that the £15bn World Cup enterprise plan and the Balogun intervention will remain central issues as national associations decide the future of football’s governing body.
