Infantino defends Fifa leadership as Uefa seeks documents on abandoned rights deal

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has defended his position amid continuing demands for documents about an abandoned plan to sell part of the governing body's commercial rights. In an interview with BBC Sport in Baku, he said most of world football supported him and laughed when asked whether he had considered stepping down.

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The dispute concerns Fifa Forward Enterprise, or FFE, which would have transferred a portion of those rights to a private investment firm. Infantino dropped the proposal within days. According to BBC Sport's Laura Scott, the presidents of Uefa, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf subsequently accused him in a letter of having deceived them and damaged trust. Infantino has led Fifa since 2016.

Uefa has demanded the release of key FFE documents by 2 November. Its general secretary, Theodore Theodoridis, said important questions remained unanswered. The BBC reported that Infantino apologised to the Fifa Council last week for shortcomings in communication and consultation over the proposal. Council members also challenged his suitability to remain president if he did not provide the requested material, including the reasoning behind the plan.

Asked when the papers would be supplied, Infantino offered no definite timetable. He said a legal process had to be followed and that Fifa was working to respond within the limits of that process. He acknowledged that some aspects of the administration's work had been less successful and said more frequent dialogue with Uefa was needed to improve their strained relationship.

Infantino pointed to renewed support from the Asian Football Confederation, whose president Sheikh Salman had reversed his earlier position, and said African member associations also backed him. He argued that differing opinions were legitimate but that Fifa's membership should determine its leadership. The BBC also reported his proposal to increase worldwide football-development funding by $3.4bn, alongside recent visits to Morocco, the Dominican Republic, Cape Verde and Japan.

The presidential election is scheduled for March, with prospective challengers required to confirm their candidacy by 18 November. No opponent had filed at the time of the BBC report, leaving open the possibility that Infantino could seek a fourth term unopposed. He was speaking in Azerbaijan during the inaugural Fifa Under-15 World Cup and Festival, which features teams from 189 member associations.