By; Ibrahim Kigozi G|
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has opened the door to an independent examination of how football’s global governing body makes major strategic decisions, following criticism over the handling of a controversial investment proposal.
In a letter addressed to the FIFA Council and the organisation’s 211 member associations, Infantino proposed an external review of FIFA’s governance processes for major initiatives, alongside structured consultations with member associations, confederations and other stakeholders.
The move follows the collapse of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, an initiative that sought to create a commercial subsidiary capable of attracting private investment into FIFA’s commercial activities and competitions. The proposal included commercial rights linked to major tournaments, including the World Cup.
FIFA had presented the initiative as a way of unlocking additional commercial value and increasing development funding for member associations. Infantino said at the time that the proposal was an opportunity rather than an obligation and that it would require approval through FIFA’s established decision-making procedures.
However, the proposal triggered significant opposition from several football authorities. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF were among those raising concerns, with the controversy eventually leading to the proposal being withdrawn.
The episode has since developed into a broader debate about FIFA's governance, transparency and the distribution of decision-making power within the organisation.
Infantino's latest letter acknowledges that the handling of the investment proposal caused concern. Rather than treating the controversy solely as a disagreement over the merits of the investment plan, the proposed review would examine how major initiatives are developed, communicated and taken through FIFA's approval structures.
The proposed external assessment could therefore look at the roles played by the FIFA President, FIFA Council, FIFA administration and FIFA Congress when major strategic proposals are introduced.
The development comes as some senior football officials continue to call for greater scrutiny of FIFA's finances and governance. UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin and CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani have separately called for an independent examination of FIFA's financial reserves following the abandoned investment plan.