FIFA Hits Back at UEFA over 'Baseless' Claims of Personal Gain by Infantino

FIFA has accused European football's governing body UEFA of conducting a "disinformation campaign" aimed at influencing the upcoming presidential race, while urging a US court to dismiss a bid to secure evidence concerning Gianni Infantino's controversial investment proposal from earlier this summer. In August, UEFA sought permission from a US federal court to obtain depositions and documents to support a planned criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

The dispute centers on a subsequently withdrawn plan to transfer the commercial rights to the World Cup to a subsidiary named FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). In a response filed on Monday, FIFA claimed that UEFA's petition contains "multiple false or misleading statements regarding FIFA and Infantino." "Without any basis whatsoever, UEFA insinuates that Mr. Infantino sought to personally benefit from the FFE proposal," FIFA stated in the court filing seen by Reuters. "As explained, the FFE plan was subject to approval by both FIFA member associations and the FIFA Council, and FFE itself would have been subject to oversight by both groups within FIFA. UEFA's claims that Infantino breached ethics or any standard of good governance are completely baseless."

UEFA alleges that Infantino devised the proposal in secret alongside a small circle of advisers and investors, bypassing standard FIFA governance protocols without consulting the FIFA Council, regional confederations, or member associations. In its court filings, UEFA stated that investors were set to pay $4.2 billion for a stake in FIFA Forward Enterprise, placing the venture's valuation at roughly $20 billion. "UEFA, whether deliberately or through a lack of understanding, is confusing equity value with enterprise value," FIFA countered. The next FIFA presidential election is set to take place in Morocco in the spring of 2027, with incumbent Gianni Infantino currently the sole candidate in the running.