European football’s governing body Uefa has set a 2 November deadline for Fifa to release documents related to governance and decision-making, following a failure by Fifa to provide transparency over controversial proposals.
At a Fifa Council meeting on Thursday, president Gianni Infantino issued an apology for his plan to sell World Cup rights but did not produce the requested documents detailing the proposal. Uefa responded by demanding that Fifa address “a number of fundamental questions” and provide full disclosure.
In a letter obtained by BBC Sport, Uefa general secretary Theodore Theodoridis wrote that any refusal to share information must be justified with “a clear explanation of the specific grounds relied upon.” The letter accompanied an eight-page dossier outlining concerns about several issues, including the Fifa Forward Enterprise private investment initiative, the Fifa Peace Prize, and the suspended ban of player Folarin Balogun.
The letter explicitly criticised Fifa for failing to provide clarity on governance matters, suggesting a breakdown in communication between the two organisations. Uefa’s deadline of 2 November sets a firm timeline for Fifa to comply or face further scrutiny.
The Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme, one of the points of contention, involves private investment proposals that have raised questions over transparency and financial oversight. Theodoridis’s document also points to governance inconsistencies surrounding the Fifa Peace Prize and disciplinary actions, such as Balogun’s suspended ban, which have drawn criticism from European bodies.
Infantino’s apology at the council meeting acknowledged missteps in the World Cup rights plan but stopped short of releasing any of the documents or detailed explanations that Uefa and others have requested. The lack of disclosure has amplified calls within European football for clearer governance standards.
While Fifa has not publicly responded to Uefa’s demands or the deadline, the situation adds to ongoing tensions between the two organisations over how world football is managed. The deadline means Fifa has just over a month to provide the requested information.
Theodore Theodoridis’s letter makes it clear that a blanket refusal to share information is unacceptable without specific justifications, underscoring Uefa’s push for accountability. The eight-page dossier sets out a broad range of issues that require urgent resolution if the relationship between football’s global and European bodies is to improve.
No further details have been confirmed about whether Fifa intends to comply with the deadline or what the consequences might be if it does not. The coming weeks will be closely watched by football officials and observers around the world.
According to BBC Sports.
