Infantino’s FIFA Apology Fails to Convince England and Germany
The Infantino FIFA apology to the council landed flat on Thursday. The FIFA president told the 37-member FIFA Council in Zurich that he was sorry for mistakes in the communication and consultation process around the now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise project, but the chiefs of English and German football said they remained unconvinced he was fit to keep leading the world game.
Infantino insisted the controversial plan had been “only a proposal, in no way a done deal”. That distinction did not satisfy his critics, who used the three-and-a-half-hour closed meeting to demand answers, documents and governance reform.
The Infantino FIFA Apology and the Failed FFE Plan
The FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project, first floated in late July 2026, would have created a company to run the commercial interests of FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, and sold a minority stake to private investors. Infantino said the idea was to generate extra funding for FIFA’s 211 member associations.
The plan collapsed after a rebellion led by European governing body UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, which runs the sport in North and Central America and the Caribbean. Infantino has since confirmed the initiative “has been permanently withdrawn and will not reappear in any form”.
The dispute matters far beyond Zurich. FIFA’s development money flows to all 211 member associations, including Pakistan’s, so a fight over who controls FIFA’s commercial crown jewels is really a fight over how that money is raised and governed. The council has now been told of a different plan: a $6.35 billion development fund for the next four years, drawn partly from reserves built up by a commercially successful 2026 World Cup, which could pay $25 million to each federation. It is expected to be finalised in December.
Germany Demands a “Complete Restart”
German FA president Bernd Neuendorf was the bluntest voice in the room. He called for a “complete restart” at FIFA, saying the governance reforms the organisation needed could not be delivered with Infantino in charge.
Neuendorf also questioned what the apology actually covered. His impression, he said, was that Infantino was sorry only for failing to consult the council, not for the FFE project itself. Council members had learned about the project through the media rather than from FIFA’s leadership.
English FA chair Debbie Hewitt, who is also a FIFA vice-president, said Infantino had to answer the questions council members submitted and warned that failure to do so would leave him unfit to remain president. She pressed for the release of the FFE documents: “If there’s nothing to hide, then share the FFE documents with us.”
Hewitt widened the net beyond FFE. She said the council also needed to understand the decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban for United States forward Folarin Balogun after his World Cup red card, and the creation of a FIFA Peace Prize that was awarded to US President Donald Trump.
Infantino Keeps African Backing as Election Looms
The criticism was not unanimous. Ahmed Yahya, president of the Mauritanian football federation, defended Infantino, pointing to increased funding for national associations and the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams. The Confederation of African Football’s 54 members have said they will back his re-election campaign.
Infantino has led FIFA since 2016 and is running for re-election next March, despite calls for him to stand down over the FFE affair. No heavyweight challenger has yet emerged, and the deadline for candidacies is November 18.
FIFA has had a turbulent fortnight off the pitch. The governing body postponed the FIFAe Finals 2026 in Jeddah after attacks on Saudi Arabia, and the Asian confederation at the heart of the anti-FFE rebellion is itself dealing with a possible postponement of Saudi Arabia’s Asian Cup to 2028.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Gianni Infantino apologise for?
Infantino apologised to the FIFA Council for mistakes in communicating and consulting members over the FIFA Forward Enterprise project, which would have sold a minority stake in FIFA’s commercial operations to private investors. He insisted it was only a proposal and “in no way a done deal”.
Why are England and Germany unhappy with Infantino?
English FA chair Debbie Hewitt and German FA president Bernd Neuendorf say Infantino failed to consult the FIFA Council before announcing the plan, has not released the FFE documents, and has left questions unanswered. Neuendorf wants a “complete restart” at FIFA, while Hewitt says Infantino must answer questions or step aside.
