Gianni Infantino Proposes FIFA Governance Reforms After Controversial Project Collapse

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has moved to reassert his authority over world football, putting forward a set of governance reforms following the collapse of a controversial commercial project that had sparked backlash across the game.

In a letter sent to members of the FIFA Council and the presidents of all 211 member associations, Infantino issued a firm message to his critics.

"FIFA's democratic processes, independence and sporting authority were never for sale," he wrote. "They are not for sale and never will be."

The statement comes as Infantino looks to move past the fallout from the now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, a plan that had leaked to the media and caused significant alarm among member nations. Under the scrapped arrangement, an American investment fund would have acquired a stake in both the men's and women's World Cups, along with several other major FIFA competitions.

Infantino used his letter to clarify that the plan was never intended to hand over sporting authority, though he did acknowledge that the way it became public caused real confusion and concern across the football world.

Looking ahead to the FIFA Council meeting on October 15, Infantino outlined two proposals aimed at strengthening how the organisation is governed. The first involves a review of how FIFA handles its major strategic decisions.

"First, I will ask the Council whether it wishes to commission an independent external review of FIFA's current governance framework for major strategic initiatives and recommend potential improvements," he wrote.

The second focuses on improving communication between FIFA's leadership in Zurich and the regional bodies that oversee the sport globally.

"Second, I will propose that the Council establish a direct, structured and time-limited consultation with confederations, Member Associations and relevant stakeholders on how FIFA's decision-making can be further strengthened," Infantino added. "The consultation would invite specific proposals on earlier institutional involvement, the respective roles of the President, the Bureau, the Council and the Congress, and practical ways to strengthen transparency, participation and accountability in major strategic initiatives."

Reflecting on how the situation unfolded, Infantino admitted the process behind introducing the plan wasn't handled well, noting that details became public before the official institutional process had run its course, which created the impression that decisions had already been made when they hadn't.

He stressed that the project was always just a proposal, one that depended entirely on approval from the FIFA Council. Still, its collapse appears to have prompted this push for reform, with Infantino noting that "this experience has reinforced a simple point: a worthwhile objective must be matched by a process that commands confidence."