FIFA has accused UEFA of conducting a “misinformation campaign” designed to influence world football’s upcoming presidential election, urging a US federal court to reject a discovery request linked to an abandoned commercial investment proposal.
Last month, European governing body UEFA petitioned a US federal court in Florida to obtain testimony and internal documents for use in a planned criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The dispute centers on a now-scrapped proposal to transfer World Cup commercial rights into a subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
In a legal filing submitted on Monday to the Southern District of Florida, FIFA forcefully rejected UEFA’s motion, stating the brief contained “numerous false or misleading statements” regarding FIFA and Infantino.
“With no basis whatsoever, UEFA suggests that Mr Infantino sought to profit personally from the FFE proposal,” FIFA stated in its filing. “UEFA’s suggestions that Mr Infantino violated any law or ethical principle are categorically without merit.”
UEFA’s court application claimed private investors offered $4.2bn for a stake in FFE, alleging the resulting $20bn valuation significantly undervalued World Cup commercial assets without testing the open market.
FIFA hit back in its response, arguing UEFA deliberately conflated equity value with enterprise value. FIFA clarified that while initial equity valuation stood at $20bn, total enterprise value exceeded $30bn, well above figures cited by UEFA.
The FFE project was abandoned in July following widespread opposition from continental confederations, including UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation, over governance and consultation concerns.
With Infantino standing for re-election in March, FIFA claimed UEFA’s legal filings represent a calculated attempt to destabilise his campaign, urging the court to reject any effort to sway the presidential vote.
