UEFA Presses FIFA for Answers Before Infantino Vote

UEFA has given FIFA until November 2 to answer 42 questions about Gianni Infantino’s presidency and hand over documents on an abandoned World Cup investment plan. The deadline falls just over two weeks before presidential nominations close, and four and a half months before the March 18, 2027, FIFA presidential election, in which Infantino is seeking re-election.

The Letter and Its Demands

UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis signed the letter on behalf of European FIFA Council members. It says Infantino’s apology and his explanation at a FIFA Council meeting haven’t addressed their core concerns. “These explanations have not begun satisfactorily to address a number of fundamental questions raised by Council members,” the letter said. “Others remain unanswered, and the information and documentation requested have not been [provided].”

The European officials were blunt about the gap they see. “The withdrawal of FFE, the recognition of mistakes, and the announcement of ‘potential governance reforms’ do not answer how the relevant decisions were taken or why the FIFA Council was not involved at the appropriate stage,” the letter continued. It also set a clear standard for any refusal to share information. Any such refusal, it said, “should be justified individually, with a clear explanation of the specific grounds relied upon.”

The questions cover a wide range. They include Infantino’s personal remuneration package, payments to singer Marc Anthony, and the handling of USA striker Folarin Balogun’s disciplinary case. They also ask about business and political relationships involving US President Donald Trump and his family, and whether FIFA’s judicial, electoral and ethics committees operate independently.

The Abandoned Investment Plan

At the centre of the dispute is FIFA Forward Enterprise, an investment plan Infantino launched in July and quickly dropped under heavy opposition led by Europe. People described it as a $4.2 billion World Cup sell-off. Infantino hasn’t provided documents about it. UEFA has asked US federal courts to authorise subpoenas compelling FIFA to produce documents and provide sworn testimony.

FIFA’s lawyers responded by claiming UEFA is harassing Infantino. Al Jazeera said it contacted FIFA for comment but received no response.

Why the Timing Matters

UEFA said the answers can’t wait. The next FIFA Council meeting is scheduled for December 16 in Doha, Qatar, after nominations close. “These questions require answers now,” the letter said. “They cannot be deferred until the next meeting of the FIFA Council — nor can future governance reforms substitute for scrutiny of decisions already taken and accountability for them.”

The earlier deadline gives football federations time to judge FIFA’s response, or its absence, while they can still nominate or endorse a challenger. The dispute followed a FIFA Council meeting the previous week, where European officials said they were disappointed by what they saw as a lack of clarity from Infantino. The Independent reported that UEFA had previously called for Infantino to resign over governance concerns about FIFA Forward Enterprise, which involved private investors. Infantino apologised and invited written questions ahead of the December meeting.

What Comes Next

The November 2 deadline will show whether FIFA is willing to open its records to the scrutiny its member federations demand. For a body that governs the world’s most watched sporting event, this is about more than one investment plan. It is about whether the people who fund and play the game can examine its decisions.

Why This Matters:

FIFA’s governance affects football fans, players and national associations across the world, not only executives at its Zurich headquarters. When FIFA launches and drops an investment plan worth $4.2 billion without documents explaining how it was approved, people who depend on the sport’s finances are left in the dark. UEFA’s insistence on answers before nominations close tests whether anyone can enforce accountability inside an organisation that has long resisted outside pressure. Whatever happens in March, the dispute shows how much depends on transparent decision-making and how far FIFA still has to go to earn the trust of the federations it serves.