Gianni Infantino has apologised to the Fifa Council for his World Cup sell-off plan, but faced strong criticism from FA chair Debbie Hewitt, who stated he is "not fit to be Fifa president." Hewitt, a member of the Fifa Council, told reporters in Zurich that Uefa's opposition to Infantino remains unchanged following his attempt to sell stakes in the World Cup and other Fifa tournaments to private investors this summer.
During a three-and-a-half hour meeting, the first official gathering since details of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan emerged in July, Infantino reportedly did not answer questions regarding other controversies. These included his involvement in overturning Folarin Balogun’s suspension at the World Cup after a call from Donald Trump, and the Fifa Peace Prize. Hewitt confirmed that Infantino requested members submit their questions in writing.
A statement from Fifa after the meeting confirmed Infantino apologised "for the mistakes made in relation to the withdrawn FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal" and called for unity. Uefa has led calls for Infantino to resign, with further opposition from the Asian confederation and Concacaf. Infantino outlined his plans for reform within Fifa last month and plans to stand for re-election in March.