Fifpro backs independent review of Infantino's abandoned World Cup sell-off plan

Global players’ union Fifpro has backed demands for an independent review into Fifa’s governance, adding its voice to the growing pressure on president Gianni Infantino following the collapse of his plan to sell a stake in the organisation’s World Cup commercial operations.

Under the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, private investors would have acquired a 20 per cent share in a business managing commercial rights for Fifa events, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. The scheme was abandoned after three continental confederations rejected it, with European governing body Uefa threatening to boycott Fifa tournaments unless the plan was scrapped and assurances given that no similar attempt would follow.

Uefa withdrew its boycott threat on 27 August but confirmed it had “lost confidence” in Infantino and was working to field a credible alternative candidate ahead of next year’s Congress. It also formally requested an independent review of the FFE decision-making process — a demand Fifpro and Fifpro Europe endorsed on Monday, stating the review was necessary “so that no single office can act unilaterally again”.

The union also called for the formal inclusion of player, club and league representatives within the Fifa Council’s decision-making structure.

Fifa committed to reviewing the FFE process on 5 August but provided no details on who would conduct the inquiry. Its announcement appeared to pre-empt any findings, stating that “everything that was done was done in full compliance with the FIFA regulatory framework”.

A Fifpro report published Monday argued that football’s financial value is generated collectively, and that the infrastructure supporting the sport’s global workforce “cannot be treated as a sellable and undervalued asset”. The report came after Fifa listed FFE’s value at $20 billion (£14.84 billion) on 28 July — a figure Uefa later described as “fraudulently off-market” in American court filings seeking document disclosure on the proposal.

Despite calls for his resignation, Infantino confirmed earlier this month that he intends to stand in next year’s election, seeking a fourth term as Fifa president. He made a rare public appearance at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup recently but declined to address questions about his future.