Fifa has hit back at UEFA’s allegations of wrongdoing over a failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, calling the European football body’s claims “numerous false or misleading statements” and accusing it of running a “misinformation campaign.”
UEFA filed legal papers last month in the US demanding documents from Fifa about the shelved FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme. The plan proposed selling stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors. UEFA’s filing accused Fifa president Gianni Infantino of “criminal mismanagement” and pushing “a fraudulently off-market price promoted by [him] for his own benefit.” It also warned that UEFA could bring a criminal complaint in Switzerland.
Fifa’s response, filed on Monday in the Southern District of Florida, rejected all those claims. It said UEFA’s suggestion that Infantino sought personal profit from the FFE proposal had “no basis whatsoever.”
“UEFA’s suggestions that Mr Infantino violated any law or ethical principle are categorically without merit,” the filing said. It described UEFA’s request for discovery as “farcically overbroad” and noted that courts faced with similar demands had “outright rejected such applications.”
Fifa also accused UEFA of acting “in bad faith and for the purpose of harassment,” and refused to release evidence related to the FFE plan. It “respectfully requests that the court deny UEFA’s application for discovery.”
UEFA has led opposition to Infantino, who faces calls to resign from three confederations. The FFE scheme, announced under Infantino’s leadership, sparked a major backlash. Critics said the plan risked handing too much control of football’s flagship events to private investors. Infantino defended it as a way to generate extra revenue for the sport.
Earlier this month, Debbie Hewitt, chair of the Football Association and a Fifa vice-president, urged Infantino to release all documents about the FFE plan. She also called for an independent review of the project.
Infantino is set to stand for a fourth term as Fifa president in March 2027. His opponents have until 18 November to find a candidate to challenge him.
BBC Sport reached out to UEFA for comment but has not yet received a response. Some insiders told BBC Sport that if Fifa had nothing to hide, it should disclose the documents and speed up the legal process.
The dispute reflects deep divisions between Fifa and UEFA as both organisations fight over control and transparency in world football’s governance. The FFE plan’s failure and the legal battle add new pressure on Infantino’s leadership at a sensitive moment for the sport’s global administration.
According to Joy Online.
