FIFA Accuses UEFA of Smear Campaign Amid Legal Dispute

FIFA has accused UEFA of initiating a 'smear campaign' against its President Gianni Infantino amid a legal dispute that has reached a US court. UEFA is seeking permission to collect evidence for potential criminal proceedings in Switzerland related to FIFA's plan to sell a stake in its commercial rights. UEFA submitted an ex parte application to the US District Court in New York to obtain testimony and documents from US-based entities for this purpose. FIFA described UEFA's legal applications as 'little more than press releases' supporting its alleged smear campaign in a filing in US District Court in Colorado. FIFA's motion requested that the discovery process be postponed or dismissed. UEFA claims that the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would link commercial rights to the FIFA World Cup, was developed without proper consultation with FIFA's 211 member associations and governing bodies. UEFA has threatened to boycott the FIFA World Cup if the proposal proceeds, which would impact both men's and women's tournaments. FIFA contends that UEFA is attempting to undermine the proposal to maintain European football's dominance. Pressure has increased on FIFA and Infantino since the FFE plans were announced, with several countries indicating they will not support Infantino's reelection for a fourth term in March 2027. In addition to UEFA, two other continental confederations, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), have called for Infantino's resignation, while only the South American and African confederations continue to support him. UEFA has also requested an independent review of the proposal's development, stating that 'FIFA cannot investigate itself and expect the football community to simply accept its conclusions.'