FIFA Fires Back at UEFA Legal Attack: ‘Smear Campaign’
UEFA has four legal cases concerning FIFA in three states.
FIFA has vehemently rejected UEFA's legal assault on the global governing body, branding the legal process as a "smear campaign" with a "fundamental defect." Last week, UEFA initiated four legal cases in federal court across three U.S. states, seeking information about FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to outside investors.
UEFA did not sue FIFA directly, but instead launched a broader power play. The European confederation aims to subpoena those involved with FFE to gather information for potential criminal charges against FIFA president Gianni Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials. In their new filings, FIFA counters UEFA's plan to bring charges against Infantino, arguing that UEFA should not be allowed to initiate discovery with a speculative connection to any legal proceeding.
The conflict stems from FIFA's U.S. operations, the 2026 World Cup business, Thrive Capital and its founder Josh Kushner, J.P. Morgan, and FFE adviser Greg Maffei and his company, BANN Ventures. FIFA filed a motion to oppose UEFA's legal attack in Florida, which the court granted on Monday. FIFA also filed motions to intervene in the New York and Colorado cases, essentially seeking a seat at the table in UEFA's attempts to target Thrive and BANN.
FIFA asserts that UEFA's actions are part of a smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership, citing UEFA's decision to alert the media before filing the applications and the numerous paragraphs in the applications supported by press reports. UEFA representatives declined to comment, as did FIFA, Thrive, BANN, and J.P. Morgan.
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