FIFA has accused European football’s governing body of launching a smear campaign against the organization and its president, Gianni Infantino, following legal threats and disputes over commercial proposals. According to The Athletic, the escalating tensions stem from a legal document filed in the United States by UEFA on August 28.
FIFA Accuses UEFA of Smear Campaign Against President Gianni Infantino
In that filing, UEFA alleged that Infantino was promoting a fraudulently off-market price for his own benefit
by proposing to sell a 20 percent stake in FIFA’s commercial and event operations for $4.2 billion (£3.1bn). The transaction was part of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which would have enabled Thrive Eternal — an American investment fund run by Joshua Kushner — to purchase a major stake in men’s and women’s World Cups and other global competitions.
Legal Showdown in United States Courts
UEFA sought document disclosures in advance of potentially launching criminal proceedings against Infantino in Switzerland regarding the FFE plan. UEFA lawyers argued that the $4.2 billion valuation was absurdly low
and lacked an open, competitive auction process.
In response, FIFA lodged a motion to intervene in New York, asking for the application to be opposed or for access to documents to be deferred. The filing heavily criticized UEFA leadership, including president Aleksander Ceferin. While these applications are styled as legal pleadings with captions and docket numbers, they are little more than press releases in further support of UEFA’s smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership,
FIFA stated in court documents.
Furthermore, Yahoo Sports reported that FIFA argued UEFA lacks the authority to initiate foreign criminal proceedings in Switzerland and that the European body orchestrated the attack to protect its market dominance.
Global Power Struggle and Abandoned FFE Plan
FIFA asserted that UEFA blocked the FFE proposal to prevent smaller nations from gaining financial strength and challenging the European elite. The global governing body argued that strengthening soccer in the developing world would increase international competition and ultimately reduce UEFA’s market power.
The FFE plan faced severe backlash, drawing rejections from UEFA, North America’s CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation. UEFA also threatened that its 55 member countries would boycott future FIFA competitions if the plan proceeded. Although the FFE proposal has now been officially abandoned, and Infantino received backing from FIFA’s management board in Morocco following an apology over the process, the legal and political showdown between the two organizations continues.
Defense Against Leadership Challenges
Beyond the investment dispute, FIFA defended Infantino against what it described as a concerted and ongoing effort
to undermine his leadership. This defense followed reports regarding an exit package paid by UEFA to a female staffer who worked with Infantino when he was general secretary of European soccer’s governing body.
UEFA confirmed a departure payment was made and noted it was in line with regulations existing at the time, though rules have since been tightened. Senior figures at UEFA have considered investigating Infantino’s past tenure to review how payments were made.
In response, a statement released by FIFA accused critics of trying to remove Infantino without due process. Those who do not have the support of FIFA’s member associations should not seek to achieve through allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA’s established democratic processes,
the statement read.
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