The ongoing dispute between football’s global governing body FIFA and European governing body UEFA has intensified, with FIFA accusing UEFA of running a “smear campaign” against the organisation and its president, Gianni Infantino. According to international media reports, FIFA made the allegation in documents submitted to a US court.
The dispute centres on a proposed project concerning FIFA’s commercial rights, known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise. The project was intended to manage the commercial rights associated with the men’s and women’s World Cups through a new entity. However, following opposition from UEFA and other regional football confederations, FIFA withdrew the proposal on July 31.
UEFA has sought documents and testimony from the United States as part of possible criminal proceedings in Switzerland involving Infantino and other FIFA officials. FIFA maintains that UEFA opposed the project from the outset and attempted to undermine it, while UEFA has called for reforms within FIFA and greater limits on the powers of its president. Infantino is seeking a fourth term as FIFA president in March 2027 but is facing growing pressure from three football confederations.