In a letter sent Monday to FIFA Council members and the organisation's 211 member associations, Infantino said he would seek support for an external assessment of how FIFA handles major strategic initiatives. The proposal is expected to be discussed at the next FIFA Council meeting on Oct. 15.
The move comes after the FFE project, which was designed around the idea of attracting private investment into FIFA's commercial interests, generated significant criticism among member associations and exposed divisions within the organisation.
"I will ask the Council whether it wishes to commission an external, independent assessment of FIFA's current governance framework for major strategic initiatives and to recommend potential improvements," Infantino stated in his letter, which was seen by The Associated Press.
The FIFA president also proposed a formal consultation process involving the continental confederations and national associations, saying the aim would be to strengthen the organisation's decision-making procedures.
"I will propose that the Council establish a direct, structured, and time-bound consultation with the confederations and member associations on how to further strengthen FIFA's decision-making processes," he added.
FFE project sparks divisions
The FIFA Forward Enterprise concept envisaged a structure in which private investors would purchase shares connected to the World Cup and other FIFA competitions. The proposal was intended to explore new sources of revenue for world football's governing body and potentially increase the funds available for investment in the sport.
The initiative, however, became public before FIFA's internal process had been completed, according to Infantino. Its early disclosure triggered criticism from several member associations and contributed to a widening disagreement over how the proposal had been developed and communicated.
Some prominent FIFA members, including several associations aligned with European football's governing body UEFA, subsequently withdrew their support for Infantino and raised the possibility of boycotting FIFA tournaments.
Infantino acknowledged the concerns caused by the way the proposal emerged publicly, while maintaining that FIFA's formal decision-making bodies had not approved the project.
"The proposal entered the public domain before FIFA's planned institutional process had been completed and before it could be presented in full to the Council and the member associations. I recognize that, without full context, this caused concern and created the impression that decisions had already been taken. They had not," Infantino said in the letter.
The dispute has since moved beyond FIFA's internal political structures. Last month, UEFA began drafting criminal complaints against Infantino in U.S. courts in connection with the FFE proposal and requested the release of relevant documents.
The development adds another layer to an increasingly contentious period for FIFA leadership, with questions surrounding governance, transparency and the handling of major commercial initiatives becoming central to the debate.
Revenue ambitions remain
Despite the backlash over FFE, Infantino indicated that FIFA's broader objective of increasing its financial resources has not changed.
The organisation has expanded its commercial revenues substantially in recent years, while also presenting increased investment in football development as a major part of its strategy. Infantino has repeatedly argued that stronger revenues can allow FIFA to direct more resources toward football programmes around the world.
"Withdrawing this proposal does not diminish our ambition or our responsibility to reinvest a greater share of the fruits of FIFA's success into football. We will continue to explore sustainable ways to increase FIFA's resources," Infantino added. "What changes is not the ambition, but the strength of the process."
That distinction — between FIFA's financial ambitions and the procedures used to pursue them — is likely to remain at the centre of discussions as the organisation considers how to respond to the FFE controversy.
The proposed independent review could therefore provide an avenue for FIFA to examine how major commercial and strategic projects are introduced, assessed and communicated to its governing bodies and member associations.
Leadership test ahead of 2027 election
The governance dispute also comes as FIFA approaches another important moment in its political calendar.
Infantino, 56, is preparing to seek a fourth term as FIFA president at the organisation's March 2027 election. Potential challengers have until Nov. 18 to submit their candidacies.
The timing places additional attention on the debate over FIFA's governance structures and the relationship between its leadership, continental confederations and national associations.
For now, Infantino's proposal places the FIFA Council at the centre of the next stage of the dispute. Rather than abandoning the organisation's push for additional revenue, the FIFA president is proposing that FIFA examine whether its procedures for pursuing such initiatives need to be strengthened.
The outcome of the Oct. 15 Council meeting could determine whether that proposed review moves forward and how FIFA seeks to rebuild confidence among its members following the FFE controversy.