FIFA president Gianni Infantino has indicated he is willing to commission an independent external review of the governing body’s decision-making processes, following sustained pressure from national associations and confederations over two separate controversies that have destabilised his leadership. In a letter sent on Monday, 21 September 2026, to all 211 FIFA member associations and FIFA Council members, Infantino outlined proposals that will be put to the next FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on 15 October 2026.
What the proposal contains
According to the letter, which was reported to have been seen by multiple media outlets, Infantino said he would put two questions to the FIFA Council in Zurich. First, he would ask whether the Council wished to commission an independent external assessment of FIFA’s current governance framework for major strategic initiatives, with a view to recommending potential improvements. Second, he proposed establishing a structured, time-limited consultation with confederations, member associations and relevant stakeholders on how FIFA’s decision-making could be further strengthened.
The consultation, as described in the letter, would invite specific proposals on earlier institutional involvement, the respective roles of the president, the bureau, the council and the congress, and practical ways to strengthen transparency, participation and accountability in major strategic initiatives. The FIFA Council comprises 28 confederation representatives, eight vice-presidents and Infantino himself, and is widely expected to approve the commissioning of an external review. However, the Guardian has noted that the terms of reference will be critical in determining whether the exercise produces meaningful structural change.
The FIFA Forward Enterprise collapse
The governance review proposal comes directly in the wake of the collapse of the FIFA Forward Enterprise project. Under that scheme, private investors would have acquired a 20 per cent stake in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions. According to ESPN, the project entered the public domain before Infantino had anticipated and before it had been fully presented to the Council or member associations. In his letter, Infantino acknowledged that the premature leak had caused concern and created the impression that decisions had already been taken, maintaining that they had not.
The fallout proved severe. Several high-profile members, including associations aligned with UEFA, withdrew their support for Infantino and threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments, according to ESPN. The Independent reported that UEFA led calls for Infantino to step down, with opposition also expressed by the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf. According to both the Guardian and ESPN, UEFA last month moved to draft criminal charges against Infantino in United States courts in connection with the FFE plan, also requesting the release of all relevant documents.
In his letter, Infantino was reported by ESPN to have maintained that FIFA’s ambitions had not changed despite the withdrawal of the FFE proposal, writing that the governing body would continue to explore sustainable ways to increase its resources and that what had changed was not the ambition but the strength of the process.
The Balogun disciplinary controversy
Running in parallel is a dispute over the handling of a disciplinary matter involving United States striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup. According to the Independent, the English FA sought clarity over a decision by FIFA’s disciplinary committee to suspend a one-match ban for Balogun following an intervention by United States president Donald Trump. The case has attracted criticism over what critics regard as political interference in a process that is meant to operate independently.
Debbie Hewitt’s intervention
English FA chair Debbie Hewitt played a significant part in forcing the issue. Earlier in September, she wrote directly to Infantino calling for an independent review of both the FFE project and the handling of the Balogun matter, and demanding the release of all documents relating to both issues, according to the Guardian and the Independent.
Notably, however, the Guardian reported that Infantino’s letter to member associations stops short of meeting Hewitt’s demands in full. The letter does not commit to reviewing the FFE project or the Balogun controversy specifically, meaning the FA’s request for full documentary disclosure on both matters has not yet been directly addressed.
Financial pressure and election backdrop
The governance dispute is not the only pressure Infantino faces ahead of the October council meeting. According to the Guardian, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and Concacaf president Victor Montagliani jointly made a formal request last week for a payout of at least $10 million for each national association from FIFA’s $6 billion cash reserves. On 21 September 2026, Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa sent a similar request, with the funding question also expected to feature on the agenda in Zurich.
All of this is playing out at a politically sensitive moment for Infantino. Both ESPN and the Independent reported that the 56-year-old has reiterated his intention to stand for a fourth term at the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027. According to ESPN, any prospective challenger faces a deadline of 18 November 2026 to submit a candidacy. In the letter, Infantino was reported by the Independent to have written that no association’s treatment would depend on its position on any proposal or institutional matter.
Key dates ahead
- 15 October 2026 — FIFA Council meeting in Zurich to discuss the governance review proposal and funding requests from UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC.
- 18 November 2026 — Deadline for any challenger to submit a candidacy for the FIFA presidential election.
- March 2027 — FIFA presidential election, at which Infantino has indicated he intends to stand for a fourth term.
Whether the proposed review produces substantive reform or functions primarily as a political circuit-breaker before the election will depend on the terms of reference the Council agrees in October — a distinction the Guardian flagged clearly, and one that the FA, UEFA and other disaffected associations are likely to scrutinise closely in the weeks ahead.