Fifa Council to view World Cup sell-off plan documents in Zurich

Fifa has informed members of its Council that they will be granted access to view some documents linked to the World Cup sell-off plan associated with president Gianni Infantino. The material concerns the failed Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme and will be made available only for in-person viewing at Fifa’s headquarters in Zurich.

The move was communicated in a letter sent to the Fifa Council by Mattias Grafström. Council members have been given until 16 November to apply for visits to inspect the material under strict confidentiality protocols.

What Fifa Council members will be allowed to see

The documents relate to the Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme, a failed plan connected to the proposed sale of stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Fifa has told Council members that material connected to the scheme will be released for them to view at its headquarters in Switzerland.

Access will be limited. Council members will only be allowed to view the documents in person, and the exact nature and scope of the files have not been set out. The documents will not be made available without confidentiality restrictions.

The arrangement means Council members can inspect some of the material behind one of the most sensitive governance issues involving Fifa and Infantino, but only within controlled conditions at the governing body’s Zurich base.

Confidentiality remains central to the process

The letter from Grafström sets out a process that gives Council members access while keeping tight limits on how the material can be handled. Viewings are to take place at Fifa’s headquarters in Zurich, with strict confidentiality protocols attached.

That approach places the focus on internal access rather than broader disclosure. It also leaves important practical questions around the documents themselves, including how much of the Fifa Forward Enterprise material will be available for inspection by Council members.

For football officials following the issue, the distinction is significant. The Council will be able to see some material related to the failed plan, but the documents will remain controlled by Fifa and subject to confidentiality conditions.

Uefa governance questions remain unanswered

Fifa has not responded directly to more than 50 questions from Uefa about its governance and recent scandals. Those questions remain separate from the access now being offered to Council members over the Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme.

The lack of a direct response to Uefa’s governance questions keeps scrutiny on Fifa’s handling of internal oversight. While Council members are being offered a route to view some documents, Uefa’s wider questions have not received a direct answer.

The issue comes at a sensitive time for the organisation. The deadline for Council members to apply for visits, 16 November, falls two days before candidates for the next Fifa election are required to declare their position.

What happens next

Council members who want to inspect the material must apply by 16 November. The viewings will then take place at Fifa’s headquarters in Zurich under the confidentiality protocols set by the governing body.

The next test will be whether the controlled access satisfies Council members seeking clarity over the failed World Cup investment plan, and whether Fifa addresses the wider governance questions that have been put to it by Uefa.