England's FA Presses FIFA's Infantino Over World Cup Sale Plan

The English Football Association has formally asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino for explanations regarding a plan to sell the World Cup, according to RMC Sport. The French outlet reported the move on Thursday as a significant escalation of pressure on the FIFA leadership.

The English body is not alone in raising objections. According to L'Équipe, FIFA vice-president Debbie Hewitt has called for the documents behind Infantino's project to be made public. Hewitt, who is English, holds one of the senior positions within world football's governing body.

Criticism has also come from Germany. Le Figaro and 20 Minutes reported that a vice-president of the German Football Association (DFB) said Infantino should leave his post. The same outlet described the German official's remarks as a direct attack on the FIFA president.

gianni infantino

The reports, carried by several French and European outlets, indicate that opposition to the proposal is emerging from within FIFA's own structures as well as from national associations. The details of the plan itself have not been fully set out in the coverage, which centres on the reaction it has provoked.

What to watch next: whether FIFA publishes the project documents Hewitt has requested, and whether other national federations join the English and German bodies in pressing Infantino for answers.