FIFA accuses UEFA of 'smear campaign' against Infantino
The dispute between the two football associations reached a US court, in which UEFA is looking for permission to collect evidence for criminal proceedings in Switzerland.
FIFA has accused UEFA of launching a smear campaign against both the organization and its president, Gianni Infantino. This accusation stems from a dispute over FIFA's intention to sell a stake in its commercial rights, with UEFA seeking to gather evidence through an ex parte application to a US District Court. The documents requested in this application are intended for potential criminal proceedings in Switzerland, where both FIFA and UEFA operate.
FIFA argues that UEFA is attempting to tarnish their reputation by using press releases to support their smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership. UEFA alleges that FIFA's FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) - a proposed entity for commercial rights linked to the FIFA World Cup - was developed without proper consultation from FIFA's 211 member associations and FIFA's own governing bodies.
UEFA threatened to boycott the FIFA World Cup if the FFE proposal moves forward. The controversy has put pressure on FIFA and its president, leading several countries to express their opposition to Infantino's reelection for a fourth term in March 2027. FIFA, however, insists that they cannot investigate themselves and expects the football community to accept their conclusions. UEFA has also called for a genuinely independent external review of the FFE proposal's origins.
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