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FIFA Vice President Debbie Hewitt has warned that President Gianni Infantino must release documents related to a controversial commercial rights proposal and answer outstanding questions to prove he is fit to lead world football's governing body.
Hewitt, who also chairs England's Football Association (FA), raised concerns following Thursday's FIFA Council meeting in Zurich, where Infantino apologized for failing to properly consult council members about the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, according to BBC Sport.
The abandoned plan would have transferred part of FIFA's commercial rights to a private investment firm, but details emerged only after the proposal had been developed without the council's involvement.
After the three-and-a-half-hour meeting, Infantino released a video acknowledging mistakes in how the FFE project was communicated and discussed with council members.
He apologized for shortcomings in the consultation process and the consequences that followed, while stressing that the initiative had remained a proposal rather than a finalized agreement.
Infantino said the project had been intended to build on the success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and create further opportunities for football worldwide.
However, Hewitt said the apology had failed to address the central concern: why the proposal had not been brought before the FIFA Council, the organization's main decision-making body.
Describing the meeting as the most open and frank council discussion she had attended, Hewitt said members had still been unable to obtain the information they requested about FFE.
"One of the disappointing things is that we didn't get answers to anything that we had specifically requested - for example getting the papers from FFE," she said.
Hewitt explained that she had repeatedly asked for the documents but had instead been instructed to submit her questions in writing.
"I think the man has to answer those questions and if he doesn't answer those questions now, he's not fit to be FIFA president," she said, adding that the concern had also been raised during the meeting.
Hewitt acknowledged that Infantino had shown some regret but argued that his apology did not resolve the issue of transparency.
"If you regret it that deeply, share it with us," she said.
Beyond FFE, Hewitt said unresolved questions over the suspended red-card ban for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun at the World Cup and over FIFA’s Peace Prize would also factor into her assessment of Infantino’s leadership.
The council additionally discussed funding for national football associations, although Hewitt maintained that obtaining clear answers on the disputed decisions remained essential.
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