Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt has formally demanded that FIFA president Gianni Infantino release all documentation tied to his shelved plan to sell a stake in the World Cup, intensifying scrutiny of the governing body's leadership.
In a letter addressed to Infantino and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, Hewitt — who also serves as a FIFA vice-president — called for a written explanation of how forward Folarin Balogun's suspension at the World Cup came to be reversed. She insisted that all relevant materials be handed over before the FIFA Council convenes on 15 October.
The letter accuses FIFA of governance failures and points to what Hewitt describes as a breakdown in institutional culture. She has also called for an independent review examining the origins of the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme, including who devised it and how the private investment tender process was handled.
The FFE plan would have established a separate entity to oversee commercial and ticketing operations across FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, with a 21% stake earmarked for sale to an outside investment firm. The proposal collapsed after fierce resistance from national football associations around the world.
Infantino, 56, is already facing legal pressure over the scheme. UEFA last month signalled it was preparing criminal proceedings against him in three US courts and separately demanded full disclosure of related documents. FIFA responded by accusing UEFA of waging a “smear campaign” against the organisation and its leadership.
The controversy comes at a sensitive moment for Infantino, who is seeking a fourth term as FIFA president in elections set for March. Rival candidates have until 18 November to put themselves forward as alternatives.
Separately, the FA had already voiced concern over the handling of Balogun's disciplinary case during the tournament. The 25-year-old forward received a straight red card for a challenge on defender Tarik Muharemovic during a last-32 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, which should have triggered an automatic one-match ban. Instead, FIFA announced the suspension would be deferred for a year, without offering any public justification beyond referencing a rule permitting such deferrals. As a result, Balogun was available to play against Belgium in the last 16.
The situation drew wider attention after US President Donald Trump confirmed he had personally phoned Infantino to request a review of the ban, raising questions about political interference in football's disciplinary process.
According to Hewitt's letter, the FA had previously submitted a statement backing Infantino's re-election bid but grew increasingly troubled following the Balogun episode. That unease deepened when details of the FFE proposal emerged in the media just days after the World Cup final, prompting UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation to issue a joint open letter accusing FIFA and Infantino of eroding trust “through deception.”
Several national federations — including England, Wales and Scotland — have since withdrawn their letters of support for Infantino's re-election campaign. Despite this, he continues to enjoy substantial backing internationally, with the African, South American and Oceania confederations all reaffirming their endorsement.
Following the collapse of the FFE proposal, Infantino convened a meeting of FIFA's management board in Rabat, Morocco, but has yet to formally address the FIFA Council on the matter. That is expected to change at the upcoming meeting, where he will face questioning from Hewitt and the Council's 35 other members.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.