FA chair demands Fifa release World Cup sell-off documents
Debbie Hewitt accuses the world governing body of governance failures and calls for an independent review of the scrapped Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal.
Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt has formally requested that Fifa president Gianni Infantino release all documents relating to the cancelled Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. The letter, addressed to Infantino and Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, demands that the records be made available before the next Fifa Council meeting on 15 October.
The FFE plan involved the creation of a new entity to manage commercial and ticketing rights for all competitions, including World Cups, with a 21 per cent stake sold to a private investment company. The proposal was ultimately scrapped following widespread opposition from national associations, including an open letter from Uefa, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation accusing Fifa of breaking trust.
Hewitt’s correspondence cites specific "failures in governance" and a "breakdown in culture" within the world football governing body. She has called for an independent review into how the FFE was conceived, who was involved, and how the private investment was put to tender.
The FA has also requested a written explanation from the Fifa Council regarding the cancelled suspension of United States forward Folarin Balogun. Balogun was allowed to play against Belgium in the last 16 of the World Cup, despite having received a straight red card in the previous round against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Fifa suspended his automatic one-match ban without providing detailed reasoning beyond citing a rule that allows for such suspensions.
The incident has raised concerns about political intervention, particularly after US President Donald Trump confirmed he called Infantino to request a review of Balogun’s ban. The FA, which had previously supported Infantino’s re-election, has since withdrawn its letter of support.
Infantino, 56, is standing for a fourth term in March, with opponents having until 18 November to find an alternative candidate. While many national associations, including those of England, Wales, and Scotland, have withdrawn their backing, confederations from Africa, South America, and Oceania have reiterated their support for the president.
