Debbie Hewitt demands Infantino release World Cup files

Debbie Hewitt, the Football Association chair and a Fifa vice-president, has told Gianni Infantino to hand over every document relating to his shelved plan to sell a stake in the World Cup. Her letter, also sent to Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, sets a deadline: before the next Fifa Council meeting on 15 October.

The letter goes further than the sell-off plan itself. Hewitt has asked for a written explanation of the cancelled suspension of United States forward Folarin Balogun, 25, who was allowed to play against Belgium in the last 16 despite the ban that should have kept him out. By all accounts the FA had been uneasy about that episode from the start and had already asked for the paperwork behind it.

The document at the centre of it all is the Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal. National associations revolted, and Infantino shelved the plan. Hewitt's letter, which accuses Fifa of governance failures and a breakdown in culture, calls for an independent review of how FFE was conceived, who conceived it, and how the private investment was put out to tender.

Uefa is not waiting for that review. Last month it began preparing criminal legal proceedings against Infantino in three US courts and demanded the same documents. Fifa hit back, accusing Uefa of running "a smear campaign against it and its leadership".

Fifa concedes a review

Fifa has now confirmed it will present a review of the abandoned scheme to its Council, after Danish federation president Jesper Moller complained that "critical questions" went unanswered at a Legal Committee session last week. In a statement to Reuters, Fifa said:

"Fifa Standing Committees advise and assist the Fifa Council in their respective fields in line with Fifa's Statutes and Governance Regulations. As previously communicated, a review of the withdrawn Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal will be presented to the Fifa Council."

That Council runs to 37 delegates: Infantino, eight vice-presidents and 28 representatives drawn from member associations worldwide. Uefa, the AFC and Concacaf have all pushed for changes to the governance framework, and there has been talk of a vote of no confidence in the president. On Tuesday, Greek FA president Makis Gagatsis and former Germany team director Oliver Bierhoff sided with Uefa's push for reform, adding to a list of European figures withdrawing support for Infantino's re-election bid.

Infantino, 56, is standing for a fourth term in March. Any rival candidate has until 18 November to come forward. Sources close to the discussions told Reuters the pressure has not shifted Fifa's position, but a Council meeting forced to open its books on both the sell-off plan and the Balogun case gives Infantino's critics a fixed date to aim for.