Fifa Accuses Uefa of ‘Misinformation Campaign’ in Bitter Legal Battle Over Infantino’s World Cup Sell-Off Scheme
The world football governing body Fifa has launched a blistering attack on its European counterpart Uefa, accusing it of waging a “misinformation campaign” and attempting to interfere with the upcoming Fifa presidential election. The accusation comes in response to a Uefa request in a US federal court to obtain testimony and documents for use in a planned criminal complaint in Switzerland against Fifa president Gianni Infantino. The complaint concerns a now-abandoned plan to transfer the commercial rights to the World Cup into a subsidiary called Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), a scheme that Uefa alleges was developed in secret and would have unjustly enriched Infantino. In legal filings submitted on Monday in the Southern District of Florida, Fifa urged the court to reject Uefa’s motion for discovery, describing the request as baseless and riddled with falsehoods. Uefa had asked the court to authorise the taking of evidence from two Florida-based entities, Fifa (Americas), Inc and FWC2026 US, Inc, for use in the Swiss proceedings. Fifa’s response, which was seen by Reuters, said Uefa’s brief contained “numerous false or misleading statements about Fifa and Infantino” and that there was “no basis whatsoever” for the suggestion that Infantino sought to profit personally from the FFE proposal.
The underlying dispute revolves around a plan that was first proposed in 2019, when Fifa’s then-chief commercial officer, Philippe Blatter, and other executives considered transferring the commercial rights to the World Cup into a separate entity, FFE, which would then sell a minority stake to outside investors. The idea was to raise capital while retaining control, but Uefa and other confederations were not consulted. In its legal filing, Uefa claimed that investors would have paid $4.2bn for a stake in FFE, valuing the business at around $20bn. Uefa argued that this valuation was far too low, given that the World Cup generates billions in revenue for Fifa every four years. It also alleged that the plan was not subjected to an open auction or tested by an independent valuer, and that it bypassed Fifa’s normal governance processes, including approval by the Fifa Council and member associations. Uefa said the proposal was developed in secret with a small group of advisers and investors, and that it was only discovered after internal whistleblowers raised concerns. The project was eventually abandoned in July 2021, following fierce opposition from Uefa, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation, who complained about the lack of consultation and the potential conflicts of interest.
In its response, Fifa denied all allegations of wrongdoing, insisting that the FFE plan was subject to proper oversight and that Infantino would not have profited personally. “The FFE plan was subject to approval by both the Fifa member associations and Fifa Council, and FFE would have been subject to oversight by both groups within Fifa,” the filing said. Fifa also took issue with Uefa’s valuation methodology, arguing that Uefa was conflating equity value with enterprise value. “It is undisputed that FFE’s ‘initial equity valuation’ meaning ‘the value that remains for the shareholders after any debts have been paid off’ was $20bn,” the filing explained. “Materials distributed to Fifa’s member associations reveal that FFE’s total ‘enterprise value’ on the other hand – meaning the ‘entire value of the business’ – was well over $30bn… Indeed, FFE’s enterprise value was well in excess of twice the equity value, and therefore far above the value Uefa says would be fair.” Fifa also accused Uefa of trying to influence the presidential election, noting that Uefa filed its application just before the vote. “Just before Fifa’s election, Uefa filed this 1782 Application (and three others) spreading misinformation regarding Mr Infantino,” the filing said. “This court should reject any attempt to influence Fifa’s presidential election based on these grounds.”
The legal battle is taking place under Section 1782 of the US Code, which allows parties in foreign legal proceedings to obtain discovery from US-based entities for use in those proceedings. The provision is often used in international disputes, but it is not automatic; the court must determine whether the requested discovery is appropriate and whether it would impose an undue burden on the US entities. In this case, Uefa is seeking to use the discovery to support a criminal complaint that it plans to file with Swiss prosecutors, alleging that Infantino and others breached Swiss law by failing to disclose conflicts of interest and by mismanaging Fifa’s affairs. The Swiss criminal complaint is separate from the civil proceedings in the US, but it could have serious consequences for Infantino if it leads to a formal investigation. Uefa’s decision to pursue a criminal complaint is seen as an escalation of its long-running feud with Infantino, who has been president of Fifa since 2016. Infantino, a Swiss lawyer, was elected on a promise to reform Fifa after the corruption scandal that engulfed the organisation in 2015. However, his tenure has been marked by controversies, including his handling of the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as well as his close relationship with powerful political leaders.
The dispute also reflects deeper tensions between Fifa and Uefa, which have often clashed over the distribution of power and revenue in world football. Uefa, which organises the European Championships and is the wealthiest of Fifa’s six continental confederations, has been increasingly critical of Infantino’s leadership style and his push for an expanded Club World Cup. The FFE episode has further damaged relations, with Uefa accusing Fifa of a lack of transparency and of attempting to centralise power. In response, Infantino has sought to shore up support among smaller football nations, who make up the majority of Fifa’s 211 member associations. Last week, he wrote to all member associations proposing an independent review of Fifa’s decision-making processes, a move seen as an attempt to defuse criticism and protect his re-election bid. Infantino is running unopposed for a second full term in March, but the legal challenges and the controversy surrounding FFE could weaken his position. Fifa’s filing in the US court is part of a broader strategy to discredit Uefa’s claims and prevent any further damage to Infantino’s reputation.
The outcome of the discovery request will be crucial. If the court grants Uefa’s motion, Fifa will be forced to hand over internal documents and make witnesses available for testimony, which could reveal embarrassing details about the FFE scheme and the involvement of senior officials. Conversely, if the court rejects the motion, Uefa’s plans to pursue a criminal complaint in Switzerland would be severely hampered, as it would lose access to key evidence. Legal experts say that courts in the US are generally receptive to Section 1782 requests, but they are also mindful of the potential for abuse and of the need to respect foreign legal processes. In this case, the court will need to weigh Uefa’s need for evidence against Fifa’s arguments that the request is a fishing expedition and an attempt to interfere with its internal affairs. Whatever the outcome, the legal battle is likely to continue for months, if not years, and it will keep the issue of football governance in the spotlight. For Infantino, the stakes could not be higher, as he seeks to secure his position at the helm of world football’s most powerful governing body. But for Uefa, the fight is about more than just the FFE scheme; it is about accountability, transparency, and the future direction of the sport. As the world’s most popular game continues to grapple with questions of corruption and governance, the outcome of this legal tussle will resonate far beyond the boardrooms of Fifa and Uefa.