Fifa president Gianni Infantino has called for an independent assessment of the organisation’s operations and indicated that he is willing to consider changes.
In correspondence addressed to the Fifa Council and every national member association, Infantino said the review would identify and propose possible enhancements.
Ahead of next month’s Council meeting, he has also proposed holding discussions about ways to improve Fifa’s decision-making structure.
The consultation would examine the president’s responsibilities and consider practical measures for increasing openness, involvement and accountability in significant strategic projects.
Infantino has faced mounting criticism over the abandoned Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative. The proposal, which included offering private investors stakes connected to the World Cup and other tournaments, prompted widespread opposition.
In an apparent effort to ease tensions, Infantino said he had spent recent weeks listening to concerns before addressing members.
He maintained that the FFE initiative would not have surrendered Fifa’s authority or control over sporting matters.
According to his letter, details of the proposal became public before Fifa had completed its internal procedures or fully presented the plan to the Council and member associations. He acknowledged that the lack of complete information caused alarm and gave the mistaken impression that final decisions had already been made.
Infantino further stressed that the organisation’s democratic procedures, independence and control over sporting affairs had never been available for purchase and would remain protected.
He also reaffirmed his intention to continue leading Fifa and expressed confidence in what its members could accomplish collectively.
The letter followed calls from Uefa and Concacaf, representing Europe and the North American, Central American and Caribbean region, for Fifa to distribute $10m from its reserves to each of its 211 member associations.
Under the FFE proposal, a newly established business would have overseen commercial and ticketing rights for all Fifa competitions, including the World Cups, while a private investment firm would have acquired a 21% stake.
Earlier in the month, Football Association chair and Fifa vice-president Debbie Hewitt urged Infantino to disclose every document associated with the disputed initiative.
The 56-year-old Swiss-Italian official is expected to seek a fourth term as Fifa president in March 2027. Potential challengers have until 18 November to nominate another candidate.
The previous month, Uefa began preparing criminal proceedings against Infantino in US courts concerning the FFE proposal and called for all relevant records to be disclosed.
Fifa responded by alleging that Uefa was conducting a campaign intended to damage the organisation and its senior leadership as part of the legal dispute.
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