Infantino says sorry over World Cup sell-off plan as questions linger

Gianni Infantino has apologised to FIFA's top table over his plan to sell off part of the World Cup. He was then told he is not fit to lead unless he hands over the documents and answers the questions.

The exchange came at a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich, the first since the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal emerged and was scrapped. The plan would have passed a slice of FIFA's commercial rights, essentially the money from sponsors and TV deals, to a private investment firm.

FA chair Debbie Hewitt, who sits on the council as a FIFA vice-president, said many questions were still unanswered after the meeting. She said the 37-member council had not received the material it asked for, including the papers behind the proposal, according to BBC Sport.

The details that have emerged so far are stark. The proposal involved selling a 20% stake in FIFA's commercial rights, including the World Cup, to private investors, as reported by Reuters. That wider sell-off plan was valued at $20 billion, Reuters reported in July.

Hewitt said Infantino apologised for not bringing the proposal to the council first. She added that he is not fit to be FIFA president if he does not answer the questions, a view she said was shared inside the room. Her own position has not shifted. She said she had no new information that made her feel differently.

The pressure is not going away. The Scottish Football Association has said it has lost confidence in Infantino and will not vote for his re-election. At the same time, UEFA has internally accepted there is little chance of removing him through a vote, according to BBC Sport.

For fans, this means the argument is about more than boardroom process. The World Cup feels like it belongs to everyone. Its income funds pitches, youth teams and tournaments across the world, so who controls it matters long after the final whistle.