FIFA has accused UEFA of initiating a "smear campaign" against its President Gianni Infantino amid a legal dispute that has reached a US court. UEFA is seeking permission to collect evidence for potential criminal proceedings in Switzerland related to FIFA's plan to sell a stake in its commercial rights. FIFA's filing in the US District Court in Colorado described UEFA's legal actions as little more than press releases supporting its smear campaign. UEFA has submitted an ex parte application to the US District Court in New York to obtain testimony and documents from US-based entities for its case.
FIFA's motion to intervene requests that the discovery process be postponed or dismissed. UEFA claims that the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would link commercial rights to the FIFA World Cup, was developed without adequate consultation with FIFA's 211 member associations and governing bodies. UEFA has threatened to boycott the FIFA World Cup if the proposal proceeds, which would impact both men's and women's tournaments.
FIFA contends that UEFA is attempting to undermine the proposal to maintain European football's dominance. Pressure has increased on FIFA and Infantino since the FFE plans were disclosed, with several countries indicating they will not support Infantino's re-election for a fourth term in March 2027. In addition to UEFA, two other continental confederations, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), have called for Infantino's resignation, while only the South American and African confederations continue to support him. UEFA has also requested an independent external review of the proposal's development, stating, "FIFA cannot investigate itself and expect the football community to simply accept its conclusions."