FIFA-UEFA War Escalates as Infantino Faces ‘Smear Campaign’ Accusation

The confrontation between FIFA and UEFA has escalated sharply, with FIFA accusing European football’s governing body of conducting a “smear campaign” against FIFA and President Gianni Infantino over the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project.

The accusation was contained in a U.S. federal court filing as FIFA moved to challenge UEFA’s attempt to obtain documents and testimony from U.S.-based entities for possible use in criminal proceedings in Switzerland.

UEFA had submitted an ex parte application seeking evidence connected to the proposed FFE scheme, which was designed to consolidate FIFA’s commercial and event operations and raise additional funds through external investment.

FIFA described UEFA’s legal applications as “little more than press releases in further support of UEFA’s smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership,” according to the filing reviewed by Reuters.

The latest development represents a dramatic escalation in a dispute that began in July when FIFA announced plans for FFE, a new FIFA-owned and controlled subsidiary that would bring together commercial rights covering broadcasting, sponsorship, licensing, ticketing, hospitality and other ventures.

FIFA proposed offering investors a minority stake of up to 20%, with the entity valued at approximately $20 billion, potentially generating up to $4.2 billion in investment. FIFA argued that the additional commercial value would allow it to substantially increase development funding to its 211 member associations.

Under FIFA’s original proposal, Forward funding was projected to rise from $8 million per member association in the 2023-26 cycle to $20 million for 2027-30, with additional funding mechanisms potentially taking the total available support considerably higher.

But UEFA reacted furiously. In a statement signed on behalf of UEFA and its 55 national associations on July 30, the organisation rejected the proposal and argued that FIFA’s competitions should not be opened to private ownership.

UEFA said the World Cup was “not for sale” and accused FIFA of attempting to advance a proposal of enormous significance without meaningful consultation with the organisations responsible for the game.

UEFA initially threatened to withdraw its national teams from FIFA competitions while the proposal remained alive. FIFA President Infantino subsequently abandoned the project on July 31, saying that the divisions created by the proposal meant it was no longer in the interests of the objective for which it had been conceived.

The withdrawal, however, did not end the dispute. UEFA is now pursuing avenues that could lead to criminal proceedings in Switzerland, while seeking evidence in the United States concerning the proposed transaction.

According to Reuters, UEFA alleges that the FFE proposal was developed without adequate consultation with FIFA’s governing bodies and the 211 member associations. FIFA, in response, argues that the alleged Swiss criminal proceedings are “purportedly contemplated” but “non-existent” and says UEFA was attempting to derail the project from the beginning.

The dispute has also become increasingly political as Infantino prepares to seek a fourth term as FIFA president in March 2027.

Reuters reports that UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF are among the confederations applying pressure on Infantino, with discussions having taken place around a possible vote of no confidence. At the same time, Infantino continues to retain support in Africa and South America.

UEFA has also moved beyond opposition to FFE and is demanding broader institutional changes at FIFA. The European confederation has called for an independent external review of the failed project and argued that FIFA should not be allowed to investigate itself.

While UEFA has suspended its earlier threat to boycott FIFA competitions, it says its member associations have mandated it to pursue institutional, political and legal avenues aimed at restoring limits on presidential authority.

The collapse of FFE has therefore evolved into a much larger battle over who controls the future direction of world football, how FIFA’s enormous commercial revenues should be managed and how much power should be concentrated in the FIFA presidency.

And with the 2027 FIFA presidential election approaching, the dispute between Zürich and Nyon is increasingly becoming a battle over the future governance of the global game.