FIFA accuses UEFA of smear campaign over abandoned World Cup investment plan

FIFA has accused UEFA of conducting a “smear campaign” against the governing body and its president Gianni Infantino over a scrapped plan to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights to private investors.

UEFA has applied to a court in New York, United States, for access to evidence and documents held by FIFA. The request forms part of criminal complaints being prepared against FIFA in Switzerland, where the organisation is headquartered.

UEFA has accused Infantino of mismanagement and of promoting the Forward Enterprise scheme in a fraudulent manner. The plan was later suspended.

The dispute escalated after an attempt to sell commercial interests linked to the World Cup. Football associations said the proposal had been advanced quickly and without sufficient consultation in an effort to avoid wider debate.

UEFA is seeking information to support its proposed criminal action against FIFA, although it acknowledges that it does not have the necessary authority to initiate such proceedings itself.

According to BBC reporting, FIFA regards the plan as “simply a proposal” that could not have been implemented without the backing of a majority of its member associations and the required approvals.

FIFA has condemned what it described as weeks of attacks by UEFA against the organisation and its leadership. It believes UEFA has chosen to engage in a campaign of discrediting FIFA instead of taking part in the established democratic process.

FIFA also claimed that UEFA was attempting to prevent smaller countries from gaining the financial strength needed to compete with Europe’s elite.

“If football in the developing world is strengthened, global competition will increase, ultimately reducing UEFA’s market power and creating more competition for its competitions, by raising funds to allow some of FIFA’s smaller member associations to develop football better,” FIFA said, according to the BBC.

As part of its application to the New York court, UEFA has asked for approval of a legal document requiring testimony from Joshua Kushner, the brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law. Kushner was expected to be the principal investor in FFF, the proposed company intended to invest in the World Cup.

The company Thrive held talks with Infantino about investing $4.2bn (£3.1bn) in a 20% stake in a new commercial company affiliated with FIFA.

FIFA claimed the funding distributed to every national association for the next cycle, from 2027 to 2030, could have reached £14.7m. UEFA, however, believes the World Cup was valued below its true worth, estimating that figure at £15bn.

The dispute comes ahead of the FIFA presidential election in March 2027, with divisions emerging over Infantino’s leadership.

Infantino, a former UEFA secretary general, received broad support from European countries when he succeeded Joseph Blatter as FIFA president in 2016. But UEFA, Asian and Concacaf associations later issued an open letter accusing him of breaking the football system’s trust and placing himself above the game.

The Egyptian Football Association, led by Hany Abu Rida, was among seven associations to issue a joint statement in support of Infantino.

He continues to have the backing of the Confederation of African Football, CONMEBOL and Oceania Football Confederation, with New Zealand the exception in Oceania.

Speaking in a recorded interview during a visit to the Dominican Republic, Infantino said: “It is important to participate, to have dialogue, and to express opinions and points of view.”

He added: “A lot has happened over the past few weeks, and it is important that you hear and listen, and that you are also able to express your feelings, so I think the situation is generally positive, and I am very happy with all the support I am receiving here.”