Infantino apologises to Fifa Council - but told he's still not fit to lead
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has apologized to the FIFA Council for a secret proposal to sell commercial rights, but faces continued calls that he is unfit to lead. Key stakeholders, including the Football Association, are demanding transparency and documentation regarding the scrapped plan.
Why it matters
Highlights ongoing governance and transparency issues within the world's governing body for football.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Gianni Infantino celebrated 10 years as Fifa president in February 2026
President Gianni Infantino has apologised to the Fifa Council for his World Cup sell-off plan - but has been told he is not fit to lead unless he releases all of the documents and answers key questions.
The Fifa Council met in Zurich on Thursday for the first time since Infantino's secret Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal - which would have handed a portion of the organisation's commercial rights to a private investment firm - emerged and was scrapped.
Infantino also faced further questions about Folarin Balogun's suspended red-card ban, the Fifa Peace Prize and funding for national associations in the three-and-a-half-hour meeting.
Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt - a Fifa vice-president - said afterwards that many questions remained unanswered.
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