FIFA President Gianni Infantino apologized Thursday for his failed attempt to open the World Cup to private investors, but senior football officials said he failed to answer key questions about the controversial proposal, deepening tensions ahead of his re-election bid.
Bernd Neuendorf, president of the German Football Association and a member of the FIFA Council, said Infantino faced tough questioning during a closed-door meeting at FIFA headquarters in Zurich.
“We asked a great many critical questions, but there were no satisfactory answers from my point of view,” Neuendorf told reporters.
The controversy erupted after Infantino announced in late July plans to open FIFA's flagship competitions, including the World Cup, to private investment through a proposed initiative called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
The plan was eventually abandoned following strong opposition from European governing body UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, which oversees football in North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Debbie Hewitt, chair of the English Football Association and a FIFA vice president, confirmed that Infantino apologized at the start of Thursday's meeting.
“I think it is fair to say Gianni apologized at the beginning for what had happened, and he said that with some contrition, and then there were no holds barred in terms of what we felt about what happened,” Hewitt said.
FIFA said Infantino had apologized for “the mistakes made in terms of how the project was conducted and communicated.” He also pledged that FFE had been “permanently withdrawn and will not reappear in any form,” according to the governing body's statement.
However, council members remained frustrated over the lack of information provided before the proposal was publicly announced.
Hewitt said officials had submitted questions about the initiative but received no answers to specific requests, including access to project documents.
The FIFA Council, which includes 37 members, has been at the center of growing tensions over Infantino's leadership and decision-making.
Re-election under pressure
Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, is seeking another term in March despite calls for him to step aside. No major challenger has emerged, but the FFE controversy has contributed to declining support among several European national associations.
His relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump has also drawn criticism. Infantino created a FIFA Peace Prize and presented it to Trump during the World Cup draw in December. He also faced scrutiny after FIFA suspended a ban for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun following a World Cup red card, after Trump intervened by calling the FIFA president directly.
Hewitt said the apology had not changed her position.
“From my position nothing has shifted,” she said, adding that she was still waiting for the information FIFA had promised to provide.
Meanwhile, FIFA confirmed plans for a $6.35 billion development fund covering the next four years. The proposal, expected to be finalized at the Council's December meeting, would support FIFA's 211 member associations and regional confederations.
The fund would draw partly on FIFA's financial reserves following the commercially successful 2026 World Cup and could provide $25 million to each member association.
The initiative may help Infantino strengthen support ahead of the election, with candidates required to submit their nominations by Nov. 18.
