Fifa Forward Enterprise: Documents on the $20bn Plan to Be Available for Viewing in Zurich

Update, November 3, 2026: we removed the paragraph on DAZN’s TV rights, which the sources do not link to this story, and the questions that repeated the text.

Fifa will give the members of its Council access to the documents on the Fifa Forward Enterprise, the $20bn plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, which was withdrawn just days after being made public.¹² Viewing will be possible only in person, at the Zurich headquarters, and under strict confidentiality protocols. The nature and scope of the material are unclear.²³

What was the Fifa Forward Enterprise?

The Fifa Forward Enterprise, abbreviated FFE, was a proposal that Fifa had presented as a sale plan tied to the football World Cup, worth $20bn. The Guardian describes it as a project to sell stakes in the tournament.¹² The international federation shelved it at the start of the summer, just days after the announcement. The backlash had been such that it put the leadership of president Gianni Infantino at risk.¹ The details of the project are not reconstructed in the available sources: we know how much it was worth and that it involved a sale, but not how it was structured.¹²

What has Fifa decided on access to the documents?

On Monday, secretary general Mattias Grafström sent a letter to Council members. It invites them to register their interest in examining the documents under certain conditions, at the Zurich headquarters.¹² The news was first reported by a person with direct knowledge of the matter, quoted by the South China Morning Post, and then described in detail by the Guardian, which cites the content of the letter. Al Jazeera confirms the arrangement: viewing in person only, in Zurich.¹²³ Members will only be able to look at the papers, not take them away. The deadline to apply for visits is 16 November.²

What did Uefa ask for and what response did it get?

Uefa, the confederation that brings together Europe’s football federations, had written to Grafström on 19 October. It gave Fifa two weeks to respond to a series of questions about the FFE, the Folarin Balogun case, the Fifa peace prize and relations with Donald Trump, as well as other controversial decisions of the past year.² There are more than 50 questions. Uefa had also asked that all the documents on the FFE be made accessible and that any refusal be justified individually, with a clear explanation.² The deadline set by Uefa passed on Monday evening without a direct response. Council members understand that a reply is being prepared and will be shared with them.² Fifa’s position is that there were too many questions for two weeks. It also points out that Infantino, at last month’s Council meeting, had invited delegates to submit their questions in writing before the next meeting, in December.²

What other fronts are open between Fifa and Uefa?

In August, Uefa filed requests with four US courts to obtain documents on the FFE. It intends to use them for a criminal complaint in Switzerland alleging financial mismanagement.² The judges’ preliminary decisions have not yet arrived. Fifa accuses Uefa of harassment and disinformation and denies that Infantino committed any wrongdoing.² According to the Guardian, Uefa and its allies are reportedly close to identifying a candidate to stand against Infantino in March, with a possible move at the start of this month.²

How much does the election calendar matter?

The 16 November deadline falls two days before the date by which candidates for next year’s Fifa presidency must come out into the open. The Guardian notes that the coincidence could raise some eyebrows.² Meanwhile, Infantino’s position has received a boost: a little over a week ago the head of Asian football backed him for a fourth term, somewhat strengthening his prospects of re-election.¹

This article was written by artificial intelligence from the sources cited, without human review. Automatic newsroom by Redazia.

Sources

Footnotes

1. Fifa to release documents related to aborted World Cup sell-off plan with council members, South China Morning Post, 2026-11-03 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

2. Fifa to share documents on World Cup sell-off plans with council members, Latest news, sport and opinion from the Guardian, 2026-11-02 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵

3. FIFA to share documents related to World Cup sell-off plan, Al Jazeera, 2026-11-03 ↩ ↩²