FIFA agrees to open controversial World Cup sale plan documents to scrutiny

FIFA has agreed to allow its council members to inspect key documents related to a controversial proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors, following pressure from UEFA to disclose details of the abandoned plan.

A person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Monday that FIFA Council members would be granted access to important documents related to the proposal, known as FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE), which was withdrawn just days after being introduced.

Last month, European football's governing body UEFA gave FIFA until November 2 to disclose details of the controversial FFE proposal, prompting the world football governing body to soften its stance on the matter.

According to the source, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom sent a letter to council members on Monday, asking those interested in reviewing the documents in person at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich to register under specified conditions.

In the letter, seen by BBC Sport, Grafstrom said the documents would be made available for inspection under strict review conditions to maintain confidentiality. Council members have been asked to register within the next two weeks.

However, it remains unclear which specific documents will be made available for inspection.

At an earlier council meeting, FIFA President Gianni Infantino apologised over the abandoned proposal but failed to provide a full explanation of how the plan had been developed. He instead asked council members to submit their questions in writing.