Overview
- FIFA apologised on Wednesday for 'errors' in how it handled the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, formally withdrew the proposal and said a review will be presented to the FIFA Council.
- The abandoned FFE scheme would have packaged World Cup and other tournament commercial rights into a vehicle FIFA valued at about $20 billion and sought to sell roughly 20% for up to about $4.2 billion.
- The proposal triggered intense external opposition from UEFA, the European Leagues and many national associations that threatened boycotts, sought document preservation and began withdrawing support for Gianni Infantino.
- Senior figures inside and close to FIFA publicly distanced themselves, with secretary general Mattias Grafström and advisers such as Arsène Wenger criticising the handling of the plan and some executives signalling they felt sidelined.
- With Infantino retained by the management board, watchers now expect the promised governance review, possible legal or arbitration steps by European stakeholders and political positioning ahead of the March 2027 presidential election.