FIFA accuses UEFA of running a “smear campaign” against Infantino

FIFA has accused UEFA of turning a US court process into a “smear campaign” against the governing body and its president, Gianni Infantino.

The dispute centers on FIFA’s plan to sell investors a stake in commercial rights linked to the World Cup through an entity called the FIFA Forward Enterprise. UEFA filed an ex parte application in the US District Court in New York seeking testimony and documents from US-based entities. It says the material could be used in potential criminal proceedings in Switzerland, where both organisations are based.

FIFA responded in a filing in the US District Court in Colorado, calling UEFA’s applications little more than public relations material. It submitted a motion to intervene and asked the court to postpone or dismiss the discovery process.

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While these applications are styled as legal pleadings with captions and docket numbers, they are little more than press releases in further support of UEFA’s smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership.

UEFA says the FIFA Forward Enterprise was developed without adequate consultation with FIFA’s 211 member associations and FIFA’s governing bodies. It has threatened to boycott the men’s and women’s World Cups if the plan proceeds. FIFA, in turn, says UEFA is attempting to block the proposal to preserve European football’s existing dominance.

The dispute has increased pressure on Infantino ahead of his expected bid for a fourth term in March 2027. CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation have also called for his resignation, while the South American and African confederations continue to support him. UEFA is demanding a “genuinely independent external review,” arguing that “FIFA cannot investigate itself and expect the football community to simply accept its conclusions.”

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FIFA cannot investigate itself and expect the football community to simply accept its conclusions.