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FIFA has had accused European football’s governing body, UEFA, of trying to influence next year’s FIFA presidential election through its legal bid to obtain documents relating to Gianni Infantino’s controversial World Cup commercial plan.
The world football governing body made the allegation in a court filing in Florida, while responding to UEFA’s attempt to compel it to release documents connected to Infantino’s proposal.
FIFA also accused UEFA of running a “misinformation” campaign against the organisation and its president, alleging that the European body had made “numerous false or misleading statements” about the abandoned proposal.
Infantino sparked controversy in July after proposing the creation of a commercial subsidiary under the FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative.
The proposed company would have allowed private investors to acquire stakes in a business responsible for managing some of FIFA’s biggest competitions, including the World Cup and Club World Cup.
The proposal was quickly shelved following strong opposition.
FIFA said one of the claims made against Infantino was that he had sought to personally profit from the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
The governing body rejected the allegation, maintaining that the plan was intended to generate additional funds that could be invested in football.
UEFA has yet to respond publicly to FIFA’s latest allegations. AFP reported that it had contacted the European governing body for a reaction.
The dispute has further widened tensions between UEFA and Infantino, with UEFA leading opposition to the FIFA president and openly calling for his removal.
FIFA confirmed this month that Infantino will contest the presidential election in March 2027, despite the controversy surrounding the now-abandoned commercial plan.
Infantino has also sought to strengthen his position among FIFA’s 211 member associations by indicating that more funding could be distributed from the organisation’s reserves.
In a letter from FIFA members seen by AFP, Infantino said he would support “the greatest level of additional funding that can responsibly be delivered”.
He also maintained that the abandoned commercial proposal was designed to generate more resources for the game.
“The recent commercial proposal, now withdrawn, was intended to enable FIFA to invest more in football,” Infantino wrote.
Infantino continues to have support from several football bodies and countries. Saudi Arabia, which will host the 2034 World Cup, backed him last month, while the Confederation of African Football and South American Football Confederation have also expressed support.
The latest court dispute now adds another layer to the growing contest surrounding Infantino’s leadership ahead of the 2027 FIFA presidential election.
