FIFA president Gianni Infantino has proposed a direct, structured consultation with the organization’s 211 member associations to reform the governing body’s decision-making processes, according to a letter obtained by Agence France-Presse. The initiative comes amid an ongoing leadership crisis five months ahead of the scheduled March presidential election, triggered by an aborted commercial project that faced fierce resistance from major continental confederations.
The internal strife stems from a controversial plan to create a private commercial entity, initially dubbed “Fifa Forward Entreprise” (FFE), designed to house core assets including the World Cup. Infantino advanced the initiative without prior consultation, drawing sharp pushback from regional governing bodies and placing his candidacy for re-election in jeopardy.
Governance Reform Proposals and the October Council Meeting
According to the correspondence obtained by AFP, the proposed review will invite member associations to submit precise proposals regarding institutional oversight. Specifically, the framework targets early involvement from institutional bodies, the respective powers of the FIFA president, the Bureau, the Council, and the Congress, alongside measures to increase transparency and accountability in strategic initiatives.
Infantino indicated that initial proposals will be reviewed during the upcoming FIFA Council meeting scheduled for October 15. Written contributions submitted within a reasonable timeframe thereafter will also be evaluated, and any resulting statutory changes will be submitted to the full Congress for formal review and approval.
“Any resulting statutory modification would then be submitted to the Congress for examination and approval in accordance with the appropriate procedure,” Infantino noted in his message to member federations.
Continental Opposition and Leadership Pressure
Despite the formal withdrawal of the FFE project, substantial political friction remains within international football. The European governing body UEFA, alongside the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), fiercely opposed the commercialization scheme and have maintained intense pressure on the incumbent leadership.
Those three major confederations have openly demanded Infantino’s departure following the rollout and subsequent retraction of the commercial strategy. With the presidential election slated for March, the upcoming October 15 Council meeting serves as a critical checkpoint for the administration’s survival strategy as it attempts to appease disgruntled member associations through structural governance reviews.
Related reading
