FA's Debbie Hewitt Demands FIFA Release Documents on World Cup Sell-Off Plan and Balogun Decision

English FA chairwoman Debbie Hewitt has formally demanded that FIFA president Gianni Infantino release all background documents relating to a controversial plan to sell a stake in the World Cup, as well as correspondence concerning the decision to overturn USA forward Folarin Balogun's one-match suspension during last summer's tournament.

In a letter first reported by The Times, Hewitt, who also serves as a FIFA vice-president, asked for full transparency to be provided to FIFA council members on both matters ahead of the council's next meeting on October 15. The request adds English football's weight to growing scrutiny of Infantino's leadership, with the sell-off plan and the Balogun ruling both having drawn criticism from within the game's governing bodies.

The demand lands on the same day UEFA vice-president Laura McAllister said Infantino's proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup "struck at the very heart of the principles of the game," with UEFA now pursuing legal action against the FIFA president. Infantino has confirmed he will stand for re-election to a further four-year term as FIFA president next year, setting up a tense build-up to that vote amid mounting institutional pressure over his recent decisions.