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FIFA filed a court document in Florida arguing that UEFA is harassing its president Gianni Infantino over his controversial World Cup private investor plan. The filing claims UEFA's request for evidence discovery is made in bad faith and aims to influence FIFA’s upcoming presidential election, which Infantino plans to contest next March. UEFA had criticized the FFE plan as a fraudulent attempt by Infantino to benefit personally, while FIFA maintains it was meant to boost soccer development globally.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-29,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In a growing governance crisis within football, FIFA accused UEFA, the governing body for European football, of waging a misinformation campaign and attempting to influence the race for FIFA's presidency. Last month, UEFA asked a US federal court for permission to obtain testimony and documents regarding an abandoned plan by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to transfer World Cup commercial rights into a subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). In response, FIFA filed in the Southern District of Florida opposing UEFA’s motion, claiming that UEFA made numerous false statements about both FIFA and Infantino. Specifically, FIFA argues that there is no basis for UEFA's assertion that Mr. Infantino sought personal financial gain from the FFE project, stating that any such plans would have been subject to approval by member associations and the FIFA Council. This dispute underscores tensions between global football entities over governance reforms and transparency in financial dealings within FIFA.
Written for “FIFA UEFA Dispute” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
FIFA claims harassment of Infantino by European soccer body UEFA in filing to Florida court
UEFA led a global backlash to the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan
FIFA lawyers claimed UEFA is harassing Gianni Infantino, in a court filing urging a Florida judge to deny the European soccer body's request for evidence discovery about a World Cup private investor plan that has rocked the sport.
The 21-page filing to the court in the Southern District of Florida late Monday, and seen by The Associated Press, said UEFA was wrong to suggest the FIFA president sought to profit personally from the project that provoked a furor in July and was dropped within days.
uncertain
that → claim → days
UEFA later asked for authorization of discovery with three courts — including in Manhattan, against Josh Kushner's New York-based investment firm, and Miami, where FIFA has an office base — aiming to help prepare a criminal complaint against Infantino in Switzerland for financial mismanagement.
asserted
FIFA → ask → mismanagement
"UEFA's conduct demonstrates that its [court filing] was made in bad faith and for the purpose of harassment," lawyers for FIFA argue in the document.
asserted
lawyers → demonstrate → document
The filing also notes the Nov. 18 deadline for potential candidates to enter the FIFA presidential election contest next March in Morocco, where Infantino plans to seek a fourth and final term in office through 2031.
asserted
Infantino → note → 2031
"This court should reject any attempt to influence FIFA's presidential election based on these grounds," FIFA lawyers wrote in the filing Monday.
asserted
lawyers → reject → filing
UEFA led a global backlash to the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan and is preparing an election challenge to Infantino, who had seemed set to win unopposed until creating the biggest crisis of his near 11-year presidency.
asserted
who → lead → presidency
Infantino's plan was to create the FFE subsidiary and sell at least 20% of nonprofit FIFA's future commercial rights for $4.2 billion to investors led by Josh Kushner, the brother of U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
asserted
plan → create → law
UEFA's court filings one month ago claimed the value was a "fraudulently off-market price promoted by Infantino for his own benefit," amid speculation he eyed a CEO-like role at the subsidiary on a higher salary than his current $6 million presidential pay package.
FIFA lawyers claimed UEFA "falsely asserts that Mr. Infantino sought to have a personal financial interest in the FFE project.
asserted
Infantino → claim → project
The secretive plan was revealed July 28 by media reports and led FIFA's now-ousted chief operating officer Kevin Lamour to criticize Infantino's leadership.
asserted
plan → reveal → leadership
The FIFA boss's senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs partner, also resigned in protest at the deal he said was bad for soccer.
asserted
he → resign → soccer
Infantino later apologized for errors in how the sell-off plan was handled, and has since offered to open an independent external review of the soccer body's governance.
asserted
plan → apologize → governance
FIFA has consistently said the commercial spinoff was intended to accelerate development of soccer worldwide, outside the wealthy power base of Europe.
asserted
spinoff → say → Europe
Infantino open to pay members more cash from FIFA reserves
In a separate development Monday, Infantino wrote to the 211 member federations of FIFA accepting it could pay them more from cash reserves.
uncertain
it → pay → reserves
That follows a call this month by Infantino's critics at UEFA, North American soccer body CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation that FIFA can afford to pay each of the 211 members a $10 million dividend from its cash reserves of about $6 billion.
asserted
FIFA → follow → billion
Infantino had offered each member $20 million, from the intended $4.2 billion investment by Kushner and others, pending a mid-September deadline to approve the FFE project.
asserted
Infantino → offer → project
An Oct. 15 meeting of the 37-member FIFA Council, to be chaired by Infantino in Zurich, is set to debate proposals on finance and governance as he seeks to manage fallout from the divisive World Cup sell-off plan.
asserted
he → chair → plan
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