FIFA will give its council members access to key documents relating to the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Monday.
The global governing body scrapped the controversial $20 billion World Cup commercialization plan earlier this summer, just days after announcing it, following a backlash that threatened to undermine President Gianni Infantino's leadership.
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom sent a letter to council members on Monday inviting them to register their interest in examining the documents under specific conditions at the organization's headquarters in Zurich, the person said.
The move came on the day of a deadline set by European football's governing body UEFA for FIFA to answer questions about Infantino's presidency, as European federations press for reforms and oppose his reelection.
Several federations have called for sweeping reforms at FIFA in the aftermath of the failed proposal, with Swiss-Italian Infantino having previously proposed an independent review of the organization's decision-making processes.
Last month, UEFA sent a letter to FIFA seeking answers about Infantino's presidency, including questions about FFE and the FIFA Peace Prize, and set a Nov. 2 deadline for a response.
"FIFA viewed UEFA's two-week deadline to respond to more than 100 questions as unfeasible, given its recent focus on organizing a new youth World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan," the person said.
"The organization is also preparing for an extraordinary congress on Nov. 23 to determine the hosts for the 2031 and 2035 FIFA Women's World Cups. The ongoing legal action in the United States has also created legal boundaries.
"FIFA has maintained that it would respond to council members in due course, and the invitation to view key documents is only for council members."
Infantino's reelection prospects strengthened significantly a little over a week ago when the head of Asian football endorsed him for a fourth term. The move left Europe increasingly isolated in its opposition to the FIFA chief.
Infantino will stand for reelection in March 2027, with a Nov. 18 deadline approaching for potential candidates to submit their nominations.
