Uefa gives Fifa until 2 November to answer 42 governance questions

Uefa has given Fifa until 2 November to release documents and answer 42 questions about its governance, putting fresh pressure on president Gianni Infantino over decisions behind an abandoned World Cup investment proposal. The request follows a Fifa Council meeting at which Infantino apologised for mistakes in how the proposal was handled. [1] [2]

The letter was signed by Uefa general secretary Theodore Theodoridis on behalf of European members of the Fifa Council, according to the Associated Press. BBC Sport reports that its eight pages of questions cover the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, the Fifa Peace Prize and the handling of a suspended ban for US striker Folarin Balogun at the World Cup. [5] [1]

Uefa says withdrawing FFE and considering reforms still leaves a central question unanswered: how the earlier decisions were made and why, in its view, the Council was not involved at the appropriate stage. It has asked Fifa to explain individually any refusal to release requested documents. [1]

Fifa said on 15 October that FFE had been permanently withdrawn and that Infantino had apologised for mistakes in how it was conducted and communicated. The Council agreed to establish a working group to examine possible governance changes. Fifa also proposed using its reserves to raise football-development funding for 2027–30 to $6.35bn, subject to further decisions and approval. Uefa has asked why private investment was sought for development funding when Fifa could propose paying for it from its own resources. [2] [1]

Fifa has maintained that, despite the mistakes it acknowledged, its actions on FFE complied with its regulations and that the proposal would have required approval from the Council and member associations. It says details of the project's legal background remain confidential because of ongoing proceedings in the United States. [3] [2]

Sky News reported no immediate Fifa response to the letter. The 2 November deadline falls before the 18 November nomination cut-off for the next Fifa presidential election, but Uefa has not said what it would do if Fifa misses it. [4] [5] [1]