FIFA Accuses UEFA of Misinformation Campaign in Dispute Over Infantino's Fourth-Term Bid

FIFA has accused UEFA of running a misinformation campaign and trying to influence the race for its presidency, as Gianni Infantino seeks a fourth term. The dispute centres on a shelved proposal involving commercial rights linked to the World Cup and has now moved into a legal fight in the United States. FIFA asked a court in Florida to reject UEFA's request for discovery in the case.

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According to the filing, UEFA last month sought permission from a US federal court to obtain testimony and documents for use in a planned criminal complaint in Switzerland against Infantino. That complaint relates to a now-abandoned plan to transfer World Cup commercial rights into a subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise. FIFA said UEFA's submission contained numerous false or misleading statements about the organisation and its president.

FIFA rejected UEFA's suggestion that Infantino sought to profit personally from the proposal. It said the plan would have required approval from FIFA member associations and the FIFA Council, and that the subsidiary would have been subject to oversight by both bodies. UEFA, by contrast, alleged that Infantino developed the proposal in secret with a small group of advisers and investors, bypassing normal governance processes and failing to consult the FIFA Council, regional confederations or member associations.

The disagreement matters because it touches both the governance of world football and the commercial value of its biggest tournament. UEFA said investors would have paid $4.2bn for a stake in FIFA Forward Enterprise, valuing the business at about $20bn. It argued that the proposal undervalued FIFA's commercial rights and was not put through an open auction or tested by an independent valuer.

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FIFA responded that UEFA was confusing equity value with enterprise value. The case also comes at a sensitive moment for Infantino, who is seeking another term at the head of football's global governing body. Any legal or ethical challenge around the abandoned rights plan could add pressure to a presidency that has already faced scrutiny over governance and decision-making.

The filing in the Southern District of Florida places the dispute in a US court even though the planned criminal complaint would be in Switzerland. What remains unclear is how the Florida court will rule on UEFA's discovery request and whether the Swiss complaint will proceed. It is also not clear whether the dispute will affect Infantino's re-election prospects or lead to any wider review of FIFA's commercial structures.

For now, the case highlights a continuing power struggle between football's global and European governing bodies over both leadership and control of major commercial assets.

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