FIFA accuses UEFA of launching 'smear campaign' against Gianni Infantino

FIFA has accused European football's governing body of launching a "smear campaign" against Gianni Infantino in a challenge to legal action over the aborted attempt to sell part of the World Cup to private investors.

UEFA has filed legal cases in American courts seeking evidence relating to the controversial venture and warned it is considering launching criminal proceedings against Mr Infantino in Switzerland where FIFA has its headquarters.

FIFA has now filed a response in a New York court, saying: "While these applications are styled as legal pleadings with captions and docket numbers, they are little more than press releases in further support of UEFA's smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership."

UEFA is trying to oust Mr Infantino from power with a resignation or in the FIFA presidential election in March.

FIFA's lawyers say: "UEFA's application suffers from a fundamental defect: UEFA seeks discovery in aid of a foreign criminal proceeding that does not exist and that UEFA admittedly lacks the authority to initiate."

There is a defence of the attempt to launch the $20bn World Cup subsidiary, which Mr Infantino's senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, called a "bad deal" for football when quitting the role in a statement to Sky News.

Sky News previously revealed there were already plans in June to start to receive up to $4.2bn (£3.1bn) from private investors in October.

But FIFA's legal filing claims it was "only a proposal" that had to be approved by member associations and the ruling council.

FIFA claims UEFA was acting out of self-interest to protect its own competitions and that any disputes should be handled within football, not the courts.

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"Rather than participate in that democratic process, UEFA issued a press release - the beginning of a weeks-long smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership," the document filed in the court of the Southern District of New York states.

"UEFA's economic motivation was to prevent smaller countries from having the financial strength to compete with the European elite.

"If soccer is strengthened in the developing world, global competition increases, which ultimately reduces UEFA's market power and provides more competition for its flagship tournaments.

"By raising funds to allow some of FIFA's smaller member associations to better develop soccer, FFE would lead to more players from those nations choosing to represent their countries of origin and playing in their home leagues rather than playing abroad."

The FIFA filing does not directly address criticism of Mr Infantino from UEFA or reference other football confederations for Asia and North America who jointly attacked a "fundamental breach of trust".

(c) Sky News 2026: FIFA accuses UEFA of launching 'smear campaign' against Gianni Infantino