Fifa accuses Uefa of 'smear campaign' against Infantino

In a response to Uefa's legal challenge, Fifa has accused the European governing body of orchestrating a "smear campaign" against itself and its leadership. This comes as Uefa seeks to initiate criminal proceedings against Fifa president Gianni Infantino over his scrapped plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

Uefa filed legal papers in the US requesting disclosure of evidence and documents from Fifa, alleging that Infantino engaged in "criminal mismanagement" and promoted a fraudulently low price for the FFE scheme. Fifa, however, has now responded by requesting that a court oppose Uefa's application, claiming Uefa's argument suffers from fundamental defects and legal deficiencies.

Uefa maintains that the creation of the FFE was merely a proposal, only progressing if the majority of member associations supported it and received relevant approvals from the Fifa Council. Fifa asserts that Uefa's economic motivation is to prevent smaller countries from gaining financial strength and competing with European elite teams.