Fifa hits back at Uefa ‘fishing expedition’ in row over Infantino and World Cup investor plan

Fifa has responded to Uefa's accusations with accusations of its own, stating that Uefa's requests for documents related to the failed World Cup investor plan constitute a "smear campaign" and a "fishing expedition." Uefa had filed requests in three US states to obtain documents from Fifa and its partners, including potential lead investor Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital firm.

Fifa maintains that the requests are merely a continuation of Uefa's smear campaign against the organization and its leadership, arguing that Uefa lacks the legal standing to demand such documents given that no criminal proceedings have yet occurred. Fifa's filings also claim that Uefa is bypassing Swiss courts by directly approaching US courts, and that the disclosure of the documents in question would expose sensitive and proprietary information to the public.

This dispute comes as Uefa, along with North and Central American's Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), has been pushing for the removal of Fifa president Gianni Infantino, who is facing calls to step down after a highly successful World Cup.