The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has decided to provide restricted access to key confidential documents concerning the so-called "World Cup stake sale" controversy led by President Gianni Infantino.

The British BBC reported today (Nov. 3) that "key documents regarding the private sale plan of World Cup stakes, which was pushed by President Infantino and eventually scrapped, have been made available for review by Council members."

The conditions, however, are strict.

Review is only possible by visiting the FIFA headquarters located in Zurich, Switzerland, in person, and members must apply to view the documents within the next two weeks.

It has not been explicitly disclosed to what exact extent the documents will be made public.

Previously, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) strongly urged FIFA last month to disclose key documents regarding the pursuit, withdrawal, and governance of the World Cup stake sale, and to respond to related inquiries within two weeks.

Ultimately, FIFA has presented a conditional compromise of "restricted in-house viewing" just hours before UEFA's ultimatum deadline.

The origins of this conflict date back to last July.

At the time, President Infantino announced a plan to establish "FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE)," a corporation dedicated to managing the commercial rights of FIFA tournaments such as the World Cup, and to sell a portion of its stake to private investors.

According to foreign media, FFE was valued at 4.2 billion dollars (approx. 5.6 trillion KRW), with investors led by Joshua Kushner, the brother of US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, set to acquire a stake of over 20 percent.

However, amid fierce backlash centered around European football, President Infantino eventually backed down and officially apologized for the stake sale plan at a FIFA Council meeting held in Zurich, Switzerland, on October 15.

UEFA's offensive did not stop there.

Demanding a thorough explanation of how the plan was initially formulated, UEFA intensified pressure by demanding the disclosure of confidential documents along with a massive questionnaire containing nearly 100 queries.

In response, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström explained in a letter to Council members that "UEFA's inquiries are much more extensive than expected, and we are currently preparing our responses. We will share them with all members in due course."

He also sought to defuse the situation regarding the FFE proposal, stating, "The matter could not have proceeded in the first place without the approval of the Council and a majority of member associations, and as the plan has been withdrawn, FIFA will not face any penalties such as breach-of-contract fees."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)