Overview
- A secret plan called FIFA Forward Enterprise aimed to bundle FIFA’s top commercial assets and sell roughly 20% of the business in a deal valuing those rights near $20 billion.
- FIFA publicly withdrew the FFE proposal on Saturday after media reports identified private investors and triggered immediate rejection from UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC.
- UEFA has instructed lawyers to preserve emails and messages and is actively considering legal, arbitration or regulatory steps against FIFA and people involved in the FFE project.
- Several European national associations, including England and Wales, rescinded their prior support for Gianni Infantino and senior FIFA officials have publicly criticized the secret process or resigned.
- Removing Infantino will be difficult in the short term because he retains strong backing in parts of Africa and CONMEBOL and formal change would require either 19 of 37 Council members to call an extraordinary meeting or a new outcome at the 211‑member Congress in 2027.