The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has accused the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) of conducting a “smear campaign” against its leadership and President, Gianni Infantino, amid an escalating dispute over a now-abandoned plan to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights to private investors.
The latest development follows legal action initiated by UEFA in the United States seeking the disclosure of documents and evidence from FIFA as it considers potential criminal proceedings in Switzerland.
UEFA had accused Infantino of “criminal mismanagement” and alleged that the proposed deal involved a World Cup valuation promoted at a price below market value.
However, FIFA has pushed back strongly in a court filing in the United States, urging the court to reject UEFA’s application.
FIFA maintained that the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme was only a proposal and could not have gone ahead without the support of a majority of its member associations and the approval of the FIFA Council.
According to the world football governing body, UEFA chose to publicly oppose the proposal rather than engage in what it described as a democratic process.
“Rather than participate in that democratic process, UEFA issued a press release the beginning of a weeks-long smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership,” FIFA stated in its court filing.
FIFA further alleged that UEFA had an economic interest in preventing smaller football nations from gaining greater financial strength and becoming more competitive with Europe’s established football powers.
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The FFE proposal would reportedly have involved an investment of $4.2 billion (£3.1 billion) for a 20% stake in a new FIFA commercial subsidiary.
American venture capitalist Joshua Kushner and his company, Thrive Eternal, were expected to lead the investment before the proposal was shelved following widespread opposition.
FIFA had argued that the initiative could significantly increase funding for national football associations during the 2027–2030 cycle, with projected allocations rising from £5.9 million to £14.7 million for each association.
UEFA, however, has questioned the valuation of the World Cup and claimed that the tournament was deliberately undervalued at around £15 billion without an open competitive bidding process or an independent valuation.
The European governing body has also sought documents and testimony from Kushner and American financier Greg Maffei, both of whom were reportedly involved in discussions surrounding the proposed investment.
While neither Kushner nor Maffei is expected to be named as a defendant in any potential legal proceedings, UEFA is seeking further clarification about the origins and development of the FFE proposal.
Kushner recently expressed regret over the controversy, acknowledging that those involved in the project had underestimated the political tensions surrounding global football.
The dispute marks a dramatic escalation in the growing power struggle between FIFA and UEFA, with Infantino facing increasing pressure over his leadership and handling of the proposed World Cup commercial investment scheme.
