FIFA will give members of its ruling Council access to "key documents" on FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). FFE was president Gianni Infantino's plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. A source close to FIFA told AFP about the move on Tuesday.
Secretary General Mattias Grafström informed the Council of the decision in a letter on Monday, AFP reported. The Council has 37 members, including Infantino and eight vice-presidents. According to The Guardian, members can view the papers only in person at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich, under strict confidentiality rules. The paper said the exact nature and scope of the documents are unclear.
Members have until November 16 to request a visit, The Guardian reported. That is two days before the November 18 deadline for candidates to declare for next year's FIFA presidential election. Infantino is seeking re-election in March.
UEFA has led the opposition to FFE. The plan became public in late July, and Infantino dropped it soon after an uproar. UEFA sent Grafström a long list of questions and gave FIFA two weeks to reply. That deadline passed on Monday. AFP put the number of questions at over 40, while The Guardian said there were more than 50. The questions also covered the FIFA Peace Prize awarded to Donald Trump. They also asked about the suspension of a red card shown to US player Folarin Balogun at the World Cup. AFP said the suspension followed an intervention by the US president.
FIFA said it was "impractical" to answer before the deadline, AFP reported. According to The Guardian, Council members have been told that a response is being prepared. FIFA has accused UEFA of "harassment" and "misinformation" and denies any wrongdoing by Infantino.
UEFA has also gone to court in the United States to obtain documents on FFE. It wants to support a possible criminal complaint in Switzerland alleging mismanagement by Infantino. AFP named a court in Florida. The Guardian said UEFA applied to four US courts in August and that preliminary rulings are still pending.
The presidential race is also heating up. The Asian Football Confederation said on October 23 that it backs Infantino, AFP reported. AFP said UEFA has not yet found a credible challenger. The Guardian reported that UEFA and its allies are close to identifying one, with movement possible early this month. Former Switzerland defender Ramon Vega has said he is willing to stand.