FIFA receives media apology and promises answers but leaves UEFA deadline unresolved

FIFA has said it will answer questions submitted by European representatives on its Council but has not committed to doing so before UEFA’s November 2 deadline, leaving the timing of disclosures unresolved ahead of the presidential election nomination cutoff.The response follows UEFA’s demand for documents and explanations concerning the abandoned World Cup investment proposal, potential conflicts of interest and the independence of the election process.A FIFA spokesperson said: “The FIFA Governance Regulations state that Council meetings and their associated documentation are confidential.“While FIFA intends to reply to questions submitted by its Council members it has no intention of breaching confidentiality by commenting on internal communication and/or documentation to media.“FIFA considers respect for these Regulations to be a function of respect for the Council itself and for its individual members. FIFA will always maintain this respect and will not be drawn into any exchange with any third parties that undermines this.”The statement confirms an intention to respond internally but does not establish whether answers will arrive before November 18, when nominations close for candidates seeking to challenge Infantino in March 2027.UEFA has lost confidence in his leadership and said it intends to identify a credible alternative candidate, making the timing of the requested information significant to the election preparations.Its general secretary, Theodore Theodoridis, wrote to FIFA counterpart Mattias Grafström after European delegates questioned Infantino at the Council meeting in Zurich.Theodoridis wrote: “We formally request a substantive written response to each question, together with all supporting documentation by Monday 2nd November. Any refusal to disclose information or documents should be justified individually, with a clear explanation of the specific grounds relied upon.“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.”Infantino had invited written questions for consideration at the next Council meeting on December 16, after apologising for failures in consultation over FIFA Forward Enterprise.That proposal would have placed competition commercial interests, including those of the World Cup, into a company in which private investors could acquire a minority stake.FIFA has permanently withdrawn the initiative and established a working group to examine its governance framework, but UEFA continues to seek an independent investigation into how earlier decisions were reached.Its questions also concern Donald Trump’s involvement in FIFA business, the Peace Prize awarded to the US president, the handling of Folarin Balogun’s World Cup suspension and decisions surrounding the final’s half-time show and hydration breaks.The election process itself is under scrutiny, with UEFA questioning electoral committee chair Bruno Chiomento’s longstanding acquaintance with Infantino and FIFA-funded attendance throughout the World Cup.UEFA asked: “In view of the importance of ensuring the independence and perceived impartiality of the electoral process, would FIFA consider Mr Chiomento’s recusal and replacement by his deputy for the duration of the presidential election?”Those concerns remain requests for explanation rather than findings that the election process has been compromised.The dispute is also drawing calls for FIFA’s commercial partners to take a more active position on governance.Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, chief executive of the Sport Integrity Global Alliance, argued that sponsors including Visa, Coca-Cola and Adidas should engage rather than remain publicly silent.Medeiros said: “I think that they can certainly not afford to be bystanders. Silence is not neutrality.“And have you heard anybody saying anything? No, we haven’t. That is tremendously important, and we have been encouraging sponsors to be part of this united front, this coalition of the willing that Siga represents.”His intervention connects institutional accountability with the interests of companies whose brands are associated with FIFA competitions, although it does not establish that sponsors have taken no action privately.SIGA wants any governance review to be independent, transparent and broad in scope, with mechanisms to ensure its recommendations lead to action.Medeiros continued: “We see this as a systemic problem, and unless sport acts by putting in place robust regulations, effective accountability and oversight, we will be repeating the same recipe over and over again.”Alongside the continuing governance questions, a separate allegation concerning Infantino’s remuneration has been withdrawn.The Times has corrected and apologised for its report that the FIFA president received an undisclosed second salary, stating: “This is incorrect. There was no second salary.”The correction explains that expenses and reimbursements are not treated as remuneration under the relevant Swiss reporting requirements and therefore did not have to be disclosed as salary in FIFA’s annual report.It also retracts claims concerning a Miami property purchase and an alleged connection to Shadi LLC, acknowledging that neither Infantino nor his family owns, benefits from or controls that company.The correction removes those specific allegations from the wider debate and should be distinguished from the separate governance questions submitted by UEFA.FIFA has cited the errors in renewing its claim that a concerted effort is being made to undermine the organisation and its president.The governing body maintains that it accepts legitimate scrutiny but will respond directly and vigorously to information it considers inaccurate, misleading or false.The immediate outstanding issue is whether its promised answers and supporting documents will reach Council members by November 2, before the window for presidential nominations closes.