FIFA Accuses UEFA of Smear Campaign Over World Cup Deal — SkimNews
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- FIFA filed a legal response in a New York court accusing UEFA of using legal filings as 'press releases' to advance a 'smear campaign' against its leadership.
- UEFA filed legal cases in American courts seeking evidence on the proposed $20bn World Cup subsidiary and warned it may pursue criminal proceedings against Infantino in Switzerland.
- FIFA defended the World Cup investment proposal as non-binding, stating it required approval from member associations and the ruling council and was never finalized.
- FIFA alleged UEFA’s opposition was economically motivated, aiming to preserve European dominance by blocking financial development in smaller football nations through the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
- Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to Infantino, resigned and publicly called the World Cup stake sale a 'bad deal' for football, according to his statement to Sky News.
Why it matters: FIFA’s aggressive legal and rhetorical pushback escalates the power struggle with UEFA, framing the conflict as institutional self-defense rather than governance reform. If UEFA cannot secure documents or criminal proceedings, its campaign to oust Infantino before the March election loses momentum, while FIFA gains leverage to portray critics as protectionist.
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