Gianni Infantino has faced many questions about how FIFA is being run in recent weeks. Now, with an important meeting coming up and another FIFA presidential election getting closer, he has suggested that some changes could happen.

The FIFA president has sent a letter to FIFA’s 211 member associations. In the letter, he proposed a closer look at how FIFA makes some of its biggest decisions.

The timing is important. His proposal comes after a controversial commercial plan faced strong opposition from major football bodies. The issue also raised questions about transparency and decision-making inside FIFA.

Gianni Infantino proposes independent FIFA governance review

Gianni Infantino wants the FIFA Council to consider an independent external review of FIFA’s current governance system for major projects.

The FIFA Council is expected to discuss the proposal at its meeting on October 15.

Infantino also wants FIFA to hold discussions with confederations, member associations and other stakeholders.

These discussions could look at the roles and powers of the FIFA president, Bureau, Council and Congress. They could also look at how FIFA discusses and approves major proposals.

Infantino explained the idea in his letter:

“First, I will ask the Council whether it wishes to commission an independent external review of FIFA’s current governance framework for major strategic initiatives and recommend potential improvements.”

Infantino also wants FIFA to look at ways to improve transparency, participation, and accountability when it makes major decisions.

This is important because these issues became a major part of the recent controversy around the FIFA Forward Enterprise project.

What was the FIFA Forward Enterprise controversy?

The FIFA Forward Enterprise, or FFE, proposal looked at bringing private investment into a FIFA-controlled commercial company.

The company would have been connected to commercial rights around major FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.

However, the proposal faced strong opposition and FIFA later dropped it.

UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF were among the football bodies that opposed the project. They later also called for changes in FIFA’s leadership and governance system.

Gianni Infantino has said FIFA would not have given up control over sporting decisions under the plan.

He wrote that the proposal “did not involve relinquishing FIFA’s control or authority over sporting decisions. Obviously!”

Infantino also accepted that the way information about the proposal became public caused concerns.

“I recognise that, without the full context, this caused concern and created the impression that decisions had already been taken. They had not.”

According to Infantino, FFE was only a proposal. FIFA would still have needed the required approvals before moving ahead with it.

However, dropping the project did not end the questions around FIFA.

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Pressure on FIFA goes beyond the abandoned FFE plan

Football Association chair and FIFA vice-president Debbie Hewitt recently asked FIFA to release documents related to the FFE proposal.

She also called for an independent review.

Her comments came before the FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on October 15.

At the same time, FIFA is facing another debate about its financial reserves.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and Concacaf president Victor Montagliani have asked FIFA to give at least $10 million to each of its 211 member associations.

This would mean FIFA would distribute around $2.1 billion in total.

FIFA’s reserves could reach around $6 billion by the end of the current financial cycle.

This debate is also connected to FFE because one of the reasons behind that proposal was to find more money for football development.

Infantino says FIFA will continue looking for ways to increase investment in football even though the FFE project has ended.

He wrote:

“What changes is not the ambition, but the strength of the process through which major ideas are developed, tested and decided.”

Infantino also strongly defended FIFA’s independence.

He said the organisation’s “democratic processes, independence and sporting authority were never for sale.”

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Could the FIFA president’s powers change?

One of the most interesting parts of Infantino’s proposal is the possible discussion about how FIFA divides power.

Different ideas are already being discussed.

According to Gianni Infantino, some people believe the Bureau should unanimously agree on major strategic decisions.

Others believe FIFA should take such decisions directly to the FIFA Congress, where its 211 member associations can have their say.

Infantino said he does not want to decide the result of this debate before the discussions take place.

“My role is not to pre-judge that discussion. Those who support a particular model should have the opportunity to set out their case clearly.”

If FIFA wants to change its statutes, Congress would have to approve those changes.

Infantino also said FIFA would not treat any association differently.

“No association’s treatment will depend on its position on any proposal or institutional matter.”

Infantino says FIFA will treat all associations equally, regardless of their views on major proposals.

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October 15 meeting could be an important moment for FIFA

Attention will now turn to the FIFA Council meeting on October 15.

The meeting could show how far FIFA is ready to go with an independent governance review.

It could also give a clearer idea about whether the wider discussions will lead to real changes.

The timing is also important for Infantino.

He plans to run for another term as FIFA president in March 2027. The deadline for another candidate to enter the race is November 18.

Despite the recent criticism, Infantino has made it clear that he wants to continue leading FIFA.

“I remain fully committed to leading FIFA and confident in what we can achieve together,” he wrote.

The FFE project may be over, but the questions it raised are still there.

FIFA still faces questions about transparency, decision-making and how it divides power inside the organisation.

The October 15 meeting could therefore become an important moment.

The main question now is not only whether FIFA will review its governance system, but also how much change its leaders and 211 member associations will be ready to support.

What are your thoughts on this whole matter? Let us know in the comments.

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