Fifa Accuses Uefa of 'Misinformation Campaign' in US Court Filing

Fifa has accused Uefa of a "misinformation campaign" and attempting to influence the race for its presidential election in new court documents filed in the United States. The accusation comes in response to legal papers filed last month by Uefa, the European football governing body, which requested disclosure of evidence and documents from Fifa and warned of a potential criminal complaint in Switzerland.

Uefa had accused Fifa president Gianni Infantino of "criminal mismanagement" and promoting a "fraudulently off-market price" for his own benefit in relation to the now-shelved Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme. In its filing on Monday night, Fifa stated that Uefa's submission 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," Fifa said in its filing in the Southern District of Florida, where it opposed Uefa's motion for discovery. The world governing body also described Uefa's suggestions that Infantino "violated any law or ethical principle" as "categorically without merit."

Fifa further characterized Uefa's filing as "farcically overbroad," noting that "districts faced with similar requests have outright rejected such applications."

Fifa's FFE plan, which proposed selling stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors, had previously sparked significant backlash. Infantino faced calls for his resignation but maintained the project was intended to generate additional funds for the sport. Earlier this month, Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt, also a Fifa vice-president, urged Infantino to release all documents pertaining to the FFE plan and called for an independent review.

Infantino is set to stand for election for a fourth term as Fifa president in March 2027. His opponents have until November 18 to find an alternative candidate.