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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Sports

FIFA Accuses UEFA of ‘Smear Campaign’ Over Abandoned World Cup Investment Plan

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Documents & data In the courts
  • FIFA accused UEFA of misrepresenting a withdrawn plan to bring private investors into FIFA’s commercial rights through a proposed subsidiary.
  • UEFA is seeking documents and testimony in US courts for possible criminal proceedings in Switzerland involving Gianni Infantino and others.
  • The dispute has expanded into a governance and leadership battle ahead of FIFA’s 2027 presidential election.

FIFA says UEFA’s legal filings are really another front in what it calls a “smear campaign” against the organisation and its president, Gianni Infantino.

The dispute concerns FIFA Forward Enterprise, a proposed subsidiary that would have brought outside investment into the commercial rights for major FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. The plan envisaged an investment of about $4.2 billion for a 20% stake in a new commercial entity.

UEFA asked US courts to release documents and obtain testimony related to the proposal. It said the material could support potential criminal proceedings in Switzerland against Infantino and other FIFA officials or advisers. UEFA has questioned the proposal’s valuation and structure and alleged that it was developed without proper consultation with FIFA’s Council, regional confederations or FIFA’s 211 member associations.

FIFA rejected those claims in a court filing. “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,” it said. FIFA also argued that the investment could not have proceeded without member support and approval from the FIFA Council.

The proposal was abandoned in July after opposition from UEFA and other football stakeholders, but the dispute continued. FIFA accused UEFA of choosing public confrontation instead of using the organisation’s formal decision-making process. The conflict has also taken on a political dimension before the March 2027 presidential election, when Infantino is expected to seek another term. European associations have intensified their criticism, while Infantino retains support among football bodies outside Europe.

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.

· FIFAFIFA used the wording in a court filing rejecting UEFA’s efforts to obtain evidence related to the abandoned investment plan.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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