FIFA has accused UEFA of conducting a “misinformation” campaign and using a court case in Florida to obtain documents related to President Gianni Infantino’s abandoned proposal to establish a commercial subsidiary for major tournaments.
FIFA also alleges that the move is intended to influence next year’s presidential election.
Infantino’s proposal would have allowed private investors to acquire stakes in FIFA Forward Enterprise, but it faced strong opposition and was eventually shelved.
FIFA rejected UEFA’s allegations that Infantino stood to benefit personally from the plan, maintaining that the initiative was intended to generate additional revenue for football.
Despite the controversy surrounding the proposal, Infantino is expected to seek re-election in March. He has pledged to increase financial distributions to FIFA’s 211 member associations from the organisation’s reserves.
He continues to receive backing from influential football bodies and allies, including the Saudi Arabian authorities, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL).
