FIFA president Gianni Infantino was put through a bruising examination by his own Council in Zurich on Thursday, as football's global governing body continues to reel from the fallout of his failed attempt to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Senior council members emerged from the closed-door meeting to say the president had given them no satisfactory answers about the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise project, even as he issued a fresh apology for how the scheme was handled.

Bernd Neuendorf, the head of the German Football Association and a member of the FIFA Council, told reporters that a great many critical questions had been asked but that the responses fell short. The episode follows months of turmoil after Infantino revealed in late July that he wanted to open FIFA's premium competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors, a plan that triggered a rebellion led by UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF. This week's fifa-rebels-zurich confrontation had been brewing since that July announcement.

Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, responded with a video message in which he apologised for mistakes in the communication and consultation process around the project. He insisted it had only ever been a proposal rather than a done deal, designed to let FIFA invest more in its member associations. He also confirmed the initiative has been permanently withdrawn and will not reappear in any form, a concession that has so far failed to calm his critics.

## What Comes Next for Infantino The politics now turn to March 2027, when Infantino stands for re-election, with a November deadline looming for any rival candidates to declare. For the moment, no heavyweight challenger has stepped forward, but senior figures have openly questioned whether he should even stay in the job, and some are pushing to limit the powers of the presidency itself. Whether the FIFA presidency survives the scrutiny will shape how the governing body is run well beyond the 2026 tournament.

The Zurich meeting also exposed deeper governance tensions. FIFA vice-president Debbie Hewitt said Infantino had refused to hand over documents about the company that would have handled the sale of World Cup shares, telling questioners to submit their requests in writing instead. Her frustration captured the mood of a council that feels decisions were taken around it rather than through it, a complaint that echoes the earlier fallout over his failed apology to the English FA.

With the World Cup just months away, FIFA can ill afford a leadership crisis at the top of its governance structure. The council's dissatisfaction suggests Infantino's authority is weaker than at any point since he took office, and the push to curb his powers may be as consequential as any election. For fans, the hope is that the political drama stays in Zurich boardrooms and does not overshadow the football.