Overview
- Gianni Infantino told the FIFA Council on Thursday that he apologised for errors in how he handled a secret plan to open the World Cup to private investors, and the Council approved a $6.35 billion development plan that proposes $25 million for each of FIFA’s 211 member associations pending December Congress ratification.
- Several senior Council members said they remain unconvinced by the apology and declared their trust in Infantino broken, with officials such as Debbie Hewitt and Bernd Neuendorf saying questions were left unanswered.
- Infantino pledged to provide written answers to detailed questions from Council members about the investors proposal, while some delegates defended the proposal’s stated aim of increasing funds redistributed to associations.
- Major confederations including UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC had demanded Infantino’s departure after the secret plan was revealed and later abandoned in August, and they are pressing for governance reforms such as strengthening the FIFA Council and opening it to stakeholders like the European Club Association.
- The cash increase is politically consequential because FIFA’s one-member-one-vote system gives every federation equal say, smaller associations rely heavily on FIFA transfers, and the proposed payouts could help Infantino consolidate support if opponents fail to present a unified rival before the November 18 candidacy deadline.