Infantino Faces Revolt Over Secret $4.2bn World Cup Sell-Off Plan

Gianni Infantino faced the fiercest backlash of his near 11-year presidency at a showdown Fifa Council meeting in Zurich on Thursday morning. The Fifa president apologised to the 37-strong executive board for his secret plan to sell off a stake in future World Cup profits to private equity investors. Yet his expression of regret for failing to consult the council earlier was rejected by European leaders, who questioned whether he remains fit to lead world football.

The Zurich summit—described by Sky Sports as lasting three hours and reported by the BBC, The Guardian, The Independent, and The Irish Times as three and a half hours—was the council's first meeting since Infantino's covert venture emerged. Rather than calming dissent, the session hardened European opposition. Senior figures, led by English FA chair Debbie Hewitt and German FA head Bernd Neuendorf, insisted Infantino cannot continue without full transparency.

Tournament Stake

20%

Law Firm Valuation

$20bn (£15.1bn)

Reported Sell-Off

$4.2bn

Council Members

37

European governing body Uefa is leading attempts to remove Infantino before or at the Fifa presidential election in March. Continental leaders left Zurich increasingly confident they will find a candidate to challenge him before the November deadline for nominations.

The Zurich Showdown: An Apology Without Answers

Infantino opened the gathering of the 37-member executive board by apologising for failing to consult them over the World Cup sell-off scheme. However, the apology was not accompanied by documents requested by council members. Instead of answering dozens of questions submitted by European associations, Infantino asked members to submit queries in writing.

The defensive approach drew swift criticism. One council member told The Guardian that Infantino's primary goal was merely to survive the meeting. Infantino then avoided public accountability by declining to meet with media at Fifa headquarters.

English FA chair Debbie Hewitt, who also serves as a Fifa vice-president, described the session as the "most robust, most frank, most open Council meeting" she had experienced, but voiced deep disappointment over the lack of substantive answers from the president.

"One of the disappointing things is that we didn't get answers to anything that we had specifically requested - for example getting the papers from FFE," Hewitt said. "I asked the question 'why not?' - and we were asked to submit those questions in writing. I think the man has to answer those questions and if he doesn't answer those questions now, he's not fit to be Fifa president - and that was what was shared in the meeting."

Hewitt made clear that her backing depends on full disclosure: "I've repeatedly asked for the papers to be shared. I haven't received them and still in spite of the request today, I haven't received them. It is the rationale for why FFE happened in the way that it did, the Balogun case, the Peace Prize. The responses to those questions, which I still don't have answers to, will determine from my personal point of view whether or not Gianni is the right candidate." German FA head Bernd Neuendorf added: "No satisfactory answers were provided."

The Secret $4.2bn FFE Plan and Joshua Kushner

The crisis centres on Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial vehicle Infantino launched and quickly abandoned in July following this summer's World Cup. The proposal provoked fierce opposition across football's governing bodies, creating a global rift and plunging his near 11-year presidency into turmoil.

Under FFE, Fifa proposed to bundle the sale of its commercial rights—broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing, and licensing—with the operational delivery of tournaments. A portion of the commercial rights of football's world governing body would have been handed to private investors.

The scale of the deal has drawn sharp scrutiny. The Independent reported that Infantino pursued a $4.2 billion World Cup sell-off plan involving investor Joshua Kushner. In parallel, The Guardian and Sky Sports reported that the scheme involved selling a 20 per cent stake in all future Fifa tournaments to private equity firm Thrive Capital, based on a $20 billion (£15.1 billion) valuation.

Infantino gave football associations until September 19 to back his proposals. Facing intense opposition, he scrapped the initiative within days of its emergence. Despite abandoning the venture, Infantino provided no documents or written evidence in Zurich regarding his talks with Kushner and Thrive Capital.

Commercial Rights, American Lawyers, and Knockdown Valuations

During the Zurich meeting, Infantino attempted to justify the FFE project with a 30-minute presentation from an American law firm. The lawyers described the $20 billion valuation and proposed sale of a 20 per cent stake to Thrive Capital as a good deal for Fifa. However, the lawyers left immediately without answering questions, causing annoyance among attendees.

European leaders strongly dispute that the deal represented sound stewardship. Uefa has called on Infantino to release all documents related to the scheme, expressing conviction that a 20 per cent stake in future tournaments was being sold for a knockdown price.

Uefa argues that surrendering one-fifth of future World Cup commercial rights to private equity would compromise football's core assets without consultation. Without the requested FFE papers, European leaders refuse to accept the administration's assurances.

The Balogun Affair, Donald Trump, and Governance Storms

The Zurich summit was not limited to commercial rights. Infantino also faced scrutiny regarding player discipline, presidential honours, and executive remuneration. A prominent flashpoint was the handling of United States striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup.

Balogun received a straight red card carrying an automatic one-match ban, but Fifa suspended and overturned the sanction after direct lobbying from USA President Donald Trump. Council members pressed Infantino for explanations on how Trump intervened to help the forward, but Infantino gave no details.

Fifa proposed amending its disciplinary regulations to remove the scope for players shown a straight red card to have suspensions rescinded. Council members successfully pushed to defer the amendment until they receive full information on Balogun. Infantino pledged to provide that information by the council's next meeting in Doha on December 16.

Infantino was also quizzed over the Fifa Peace Prize, created last December and awarded to Donald Trump. Council members questioned why the prize was established and given to the US President. Fifa has contracted the issue to its social responsibility committee to determine whether to revive the prize or leave Trump as a standalone winner.

Scrutiny extended to Infantino's personal compensation. Sky Sports reported that council members examined an additional £1.3 million fee Infantino received in 2024 on top of his Fifa salary, alongside questions regarding funding for national associations. In response to wider governance concerns, Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa was appointed to chair a new committee examining governance reform.

November Deadline, Doha Meeting, and the Battle for March

The inconclusive outcome in Zurich leaves Infantino facing an active challenge to his leadership. European leaders are increasingly confident they will find a candidate to stand against him in next year's Fifa presidential election in March.

The electoral calendar places severe pressure on Infantino's opponents. Nominations for the March election close on November 18. Thursday's council meeting was the last before that cutoff, meaning Infantino's pledge to deliver Balogun documents at the December 16 meeting in Doha falls nearly a month after nominations shut.

For Debbie Hewitt and European leaders, the path forward remains tied to transparency. Hewitt has warned that Infantino is not fit to lead unless he produces the FFE papers and answers key questions on the private equity plan, the Balogun case, and the Peace Prize. With Uefa leading efforts to oust him, the secret $4.2 billion plan has triggered the most precarious political battle of Infantino's presidency.