UEFA orders FIFA to release key World Cup sell‑off documents by Nov. 2

UEFA has set a November 2 deadline for FIFA to provide documents concerning President Gianni Infantino’s aborted secret investment plan for the World Cup and a range of other governance matters. The demand comes as European football leaders expressed frustration with what they saw as an incomplete response from Infantino at a recent FIFA Council meeting.

Infantino did not supply any paperwork on the $4.2 billion World Cup sell‑off scheme he introduced and then abandoned in July after strong opposition from European officials. UEFA’s list of 42 questions seeks details on Infantino’s personal remuneration, payments made to singer Marc Anthony, the disciplinary handling of U.S. striker Folarin Balogun, business and political ties involving former U.S. President Donald Trump and his family, and the independence of FIFA’s judicial, electoral and ethics committees.

To obtain the information, UEFA has asked U.S. federal courts to issue subpoenas that would compel the production of documents and sworn testimony about the failed investment project, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise. FIFA’s lawyers have countered that UEFA is harassing Infantino. Al Jazeera contacted FIFA for comment but received no reply.

The formal request, signed by UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis on behalf of European FIFA Council members, states that Infantino’s apology and subsequent explanation did not address the council’s core concerns. “These explanations have not begun satisfactorily to address a number of fundamental questions raised by Council members,” the letter reads. “Others remain unanswered, and the information and documentation requested have not been provided.” It adds that the withdrawal of the Forward Enterprise, the admission of mistakes and the promise of “potential governance reforms” do not explain how decisions were made or why the council was not involved at the appropriate stage. The letter also says any refusal to disclose information must be justified individually with a clear explanation of the specific grounds relied upon.

UEFA expects answers to its 42 detailed questions by November 2, a date that falls 16 days before the nomination deadline for the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 18, 2027. With the next FIFA Council meeting set for December 16 in Doha, Qatar, after nominations close, UEFA argues that waiting for that session would be unacceptable. “These questions require answers now, they cannot be deferred until the next meeting of the FIFA Council, nor can future governance reforms substitute for scrutiny of decisions already taken and accountability for them,” the letter emphasizes.