FIFA blames UEFA for 'smear campaign' against Infantino

FIFA has accused UEFA of launching a smear campaign and conducting a fishing expedition against the organization and its President Gianni Infantino. This allegation stems from a dispute over FIFA's plan to sell a stake in its commercial rights. UEFA submitted an ex parte application to a US District Court in New York, requesting testimony and documents from US-based entities.

The documents would be utilized in potential criminal proceedings in Switzerland, where both FIFA and UEFA operate. FIFA described the application as "little more than press releases" attempting to support UEFA's smear campaign. UEFA maintains that FIFA's FFE, an entity that would have linked the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup with investors without sufficient consultation from FIFA's 211 member associations and FIFA's governing bodies, was developed without proper due process.

UEFA threatened a boycott of the FIFA World Cup if the move proceeded, which would have impacted both men's and women's tournaments. FIFA contends that UEFA thwarted the proposal with the intent to maintain European football's dominance. Concerns about Infantino's re-election for a fourth term in office in March 2027 have intensified, with UEFA and other continental confederations demanding a genuine independent external review of the proposal's origins.