FA Chief Hewitt Turns Up the Heat on Infantino With Demand for World Cup Files

Tension inside football's global governing body has spilled into the open after Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt formally demanded that FIFA president Gianni Infantino hand over all records relating to two of the organisation's most contentious recent decisions. Hewitt has written to Infantino and his deputy, Mattias Grafström, insisting on the release of every document covering the abandoned World Cup sell-off plan — the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) — and the decision to lift USA striker Folarin Balogun's suspension midway through last summer's tournament. The letter, dispatched ahead of a FIFA council meeting on 15 October, lands at a deeply uncomfortable moment for Infantino, who finds himself under growing pressure ahead of the next FIFA presidential election. As The Guardian first revealed last month, Hewitt and other FIFA council members had already been lobbying for an independent review of both the FFE proposal and the Balogun controversy. What began as behind-the-scenes manoeuvring has now been formalised in correspondence sent directly to the FIFA president and his deputy — a significant escalation that puts the governing body's internal divisions in writing. The FFE plan, since abandoned, centred on selling off parts of FIFA's commercial operations tied to its flagship competition, raising uncomfortable questions about transparency at the very top of the world game. The Balogun affair has proved similarly awkward, with the American forward's suspension being lifted during last summer's tournament in circumstances that council members now want independently examined. For Hewitt, the calculation is bold. By putting her demands on paper, the FA chair — one of the most senior figures in English football governance — is openly challenging the FIFA leadership at a moment when Infantino would have preferred a clear run toward another term in office. The backdrop sharpens the stakes further. With the World Cup 2026, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, fast approaching, scrutiny of how FIFA manages — and monetises — its greatest asset has never been more intense. Balogun, a US international, could yet feature at that tournament on home soil, giving the review of his case a particular resonance for American supporters. Whether Infantino opens the files or closes ranks, Hewitt's letter guarantees the controversy will follow him into the council chamber on 15 October — and perhaps all the way to the ballot box. (Source: Guardian Football)