FIFA has filed a legal response to an application submitted by UEFA accusing the European football governing body of spreading false or misleading information about the organization and its leadership. In the filing FIFA stated that UEFA's brief included numerous inaccurate claims regarding the actions and decisions made by the organization and its president Gianni Infantino.
FIFA also clarified that the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan required approval from both member associations and the FIFA Council. The organization further explained that UEFA had confused equity value with enterprise value when discussing the proposed investment in FFE. This financial disagreement came up in the context of a broader conflict between FIFA and UEFA over governance and decision-making within football’s top body.
UEFA said investors would have paid $4.2 billion for a stake in FIFA Forward Enterprise that implied an equity valuation of about $20 billion. FIFA said the enterprise value was actually more than $30 billion and argued that UEFA had confused the two measurements.
Infantino had recently sent a letter to all 211 FIFA member associations proposing an independent review of how decisions are made in the organization. FIFA said that just before the upcoming election UEFA filed a Section 1782 application along with three others that it claims were filled with misinformation about Infantino.
UEFA is using the U.S. court process to seek documents and testimony as it considers filing a criminal complaint in Switzerland against Infantino over the abandoned FFE plan.
BBC Sport reported that UEFA insiders believe FIFA should release the documents and speed up the legal process if it has nothing to hide. FIFA is asking the U.S. court to reject UEFA's request for discovery and has described the legal effort as harassment.
Gianni Infantino is set to run for election again in March 2027 and his opponents have until November 18 to submit alternative candidates. FIFA has argued that the timing of UEFA's filings shows an effort to influence the presidential election.
The situation has drawn attention from various sports observers who are watching how the conflict between FIFA and UEFA plays out in the lead-up to the election. This legal exchange comes amid ongoing tensions over governance and transparency within international football leadership.
FIFA's response underscores its belief that UEFA’s actions are part of a larger campaign to discredit the organization and its leadership. The case has prompted questions about how much information should be shared publicly in such legal disputes involving global sports bodies.
The FIFA Forward Enterprise project would have placed commercial rights connected to the World Cup and other competitions into a new company open to private investment. The plan was abandoned in July after opposition from UEFA as well as Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation.
As the election approaches both organizations are under increasing scrutiny for their handling of internal and external communications. The dispute also raises questions about whether UEFA’s legal strategy is aimed at influencing public opinion or protecting its own interests.
FIFA has rejected UEFA's allegations that Infantino sought to benefit personally from the deal.
The legal battle reflects broader disagreements within football’s leadership over how decisions should be made and who should have oversight. Both FIFA and UEFA are expected to continue their public and legal efforts in the months leading up to the 2027 election.