Infantino Proposes FIFA Review After Investment Plan Fails

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has proposed an external review of FIFA's decision-making processes following the collapse of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) investment plan. This plan, introduced in July, aimed to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling a 20% stake in a new commercial unit managing FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup, valuing the business at approximately $20 billion.

The proposal was backed by Thrive Capital, founded by Joshua Kushner, and included a September 19 deadline for member federations to approve it, with a funding offer of $40 million per association for approval versus $2.7 billion in FIFA development funding if rejected. The plan faced immediate opposition from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and CONCACAF, with the AFC highlighting weaknesses in FIFA's consultation processes.

FIFA's chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, indicated the project was driven by Infantino alone, leading to the proposal's withdrawal in early August. Following this, UEFA issued a legal preservation letter for documents related to the plan and called for an independent review.