Infantino apologises for World Cup sell-off plan but told he is not fit to lead FIFA

Gianni Infantino apologised to the FIFA Council on Thursday over his failed attempt to sell a stake in World Cup and other tournament rights to private investors. The three-and-a-half hour meeting in Zurich did little to calm his critics: FA chair Debbie Hewitt, who sits on the Council, said the FIFA president has still not answered the outstanding questions and is not fit to remain in charge of world football's governing body.

• Infantino admitted mistakes over the withdrawn FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal and called for unity.
• Debbie Hewitt said she received no new information to change the FA's position after it withdrew support for the president.
• UEFA continues to lead opposition, backed by the Asian confederation and Concacaf.
• Infantino did not clarify his role in the Folarin Balogun suspension case or the FIFA Peace Prize.
• The president asked Council members to submit their questions in writing and promised answers.

Hewitt spoke to reporters after the first official Council gathering since details of the plan emerged in July. Her message was blunt: neither UEFA's position nor the FA's stance has shifted despite the president's apology.

Infantino's apology for the World Cup sell-off plan

The FIFA president admitted to Council members the mistakes made around the FIFA Forward Enterprise project, an initiative designed to sell a share of World Cup and other FIFA tournament rights to private investors. The proposal was withdrawn after strong pushback from several confederations and national federations.

A FIFA statement issued after the meeting confirmed that Infantino apologised for the errors tied to the withdrawn proposal and made a call for unity, while reiterating that football is for everyone, everywhere.

Hewitt acknowledged that the president showed remorse. "He said that with some contrition and there were no holds barred on what we felt about what happened," she said. But the gesture alone is not enough: the answers have still not arrived.

The man has to answer those questions, and if he doesn't answer those questions, no, he's not fit to be FIFA president, and that was what was shared in the meeting.

UEFA and confederations keep pressure on Infantino

UEFA led the calls for Infantino to step down from the very beginning after his sell-off plan collapsed. The Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf, which represents North America, Central America and the Caribbean, joined that position.

The English FA was among the first to withdraw its support for the Swiss-Italian official. Hewitt wrote to him last month demanding an independent review of both the private investor plan and the handling of the Balogun case.

The decision to pause Balogun's suspension came after the then US president Donald Trump admitted he personally called Infantino to request that the red card given to the forward against Bosnia and Herzegovina be re-examined.

The FIFA Council's unanswered questions

During the meeting in Zurich, Infantino asked Council members to submit their questions in writing, even though the session lasted more than three hours. Hewitt said there were too many outstanding issues and that the president promised to answer them in an open way.

The list of concerns includes the sale of World Cup stakes, Infantino's involvement in overturning Balogun's suspension and the FIFA Peace Prize. No clarification was offered on any of those matters.

The FA chair stressed that the minimum requirement is access to the documents from the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan. "If there's nothing to hide, then share them with us," she said. She added that one of the biggest disappointments was leaving without concrete answers to the specific requests.

Infantino's re-election in March under threat

Infantino is planning to stand for re-election in March and has been under increasing pressure to resign since his sell-off plan fell apart. Sources close to the Council say the lack of transparency has eroded trust among a significant section of the governing body.

Hewitt said she left the room feeling she had said everything she wanted to say. "I have no new information that makes me feel any differently about how I felt when I went in," she concluded. The only change, she added, was hearing a president who admits he got things wrong and promises to deliver the requested documents.

The Zurich meeting leaves a landscape of open mistrust between Infantino and a relevant part of the Council. The ball is now in the president's court: his ability to respond with action will determine whether internal opposition fades or becomes a definitive block ahead of the election.

Frequently asked questions about the Infantino FIFA crisis