FIFA has rejected UEFA’s demands for documents linked to a controversial plan to sell stakes in World Cup competitions, accusing European football’s governing body of spreading misleading claims and targeting Gianni Infantino.
The clash escalated last month when UEFA filed legal papers in the United States, demanding the disclosure of evidence and warning it could lodge a criminal complaint in Switzerland.
UEFA accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of “criminal mismanagement” and alleged he promoted a “fraudulently off-market price” for his own personal benefit regarding the now-shelved FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme.
In a formal response filed on Monday in the Southern District of Florida, FIFA firmly rejected these claims. The organisation stated that UEFA’s filing contained “numerous false or misleading statements about FIFA and Infantino.”
“With no basis whatsoever, UEFA suggests that Mr Infantino sought to profit personally from the FFE proposal,” the FIFA filing read. “UEFA’s suggestions that Mr Infantino violated any law or ethical principle are categorically without merit.”
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The dispute now centers on a direct battle for evidence. FIFA has made it clear it will not release any records relating to the FFE plan, asking the court to block UEFA’s demands entirely.
FIFA described UEFA’s legal request as “farcically overbroad,” noting that courts faced with similar demands have outright rejected them. The governing body also accused UEFA of acting “in bad faith and for harassment.”
This legal standoff marks the latest chapter in a growing power struggle between the two football giants, as UEFA continues to push for accountability while FIFA closes ranks to protect its leadership and internal documents.
Promise Idoko is Junior Reporter working with moderncrux He covers global politics and international affairs. Based in Nigeria,
