Fifa tells US court Uefa ran ‘misinformation campaign’ over FFE and Infantino

Fifa accused Uefa of waging a “misinformation campaign” and of trying to influence the contest for its presidency in a filing in the southern district of Florida on 29 September 2026, urging a US court to reject a discovery request linked to a proposed transfer of World Cup commercial rights into a subsidiary called Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE).

Last month Uefa asked a US federal court for permission to obtain testimony and documents for use in a planned criminal complaint in Switzerland over the abandoned FFE proposal, and Fifa filed an opposition in the southern district of Florida. In that response Fifa said Uefa’s brief contained “numerous false or misleading statements about Fifa and ⁠Infantino”. “With no basis whatsoever, Uefa suggests that Mr Infantino sought to profit personally from the FFE proposal,” Fifa added. “As explained, the FFE plan was subject to approval by both the Fifa member associations and Fifa council, and FFE would have been subject to oversight by both groups within Fifa. Uefa’s suggestions that Mr Infantino violated any law or ethical principle are categorically without merit.” Uefa did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Uefa’s filing alleged Infantino developed the FFE proposal in secret with a small group of advisers and investors, bypassing Fifa’s usual governance processes and failing to consult Fifa’s council, regional confederations or member associations. The Uefa application asked the US court to authorise discovery from Fifa (Americas), Inc and FWC2026 US, Inc, two Florida-based Fifa entities, for use in the planned Swiss complaint.

In its filing Uefa said investors would have paid $4.2bn (£3.2bn) for a stake in FFE, valuing the business at about $20bn, and alleged that valuation significantly undervalued Fifa’s commercial rights and was not subjected to an open auction or tested by an independent valuer. Fifa rejected that account in the Florida filing: “Uefa, whether deliberately or through ignorance, conflates equity value with enterprise value,” it said. “It is undisputed that FFE’s ‘initial equity valuation’ – meaning ‘the value that remains for the shareholders after any debts have been paid off’ – was $20bn. “Materials distributed to Fifa’s member associations reveal that FFE’s total ‘enterprise value’ on the other hand – meaning the ’entire value of the business’ – was well over $30bn … Indeed, FFE’s enterprise value was well in ⁠excess of twice the equity value, and therefore far above the value Uefa says would be fair.”

The FFE project was abandoned in July after opposition from confederations, including Uefa, Concacaf – the North and Central American and Caribbean confederation – and the Asian Football Confederation, over a lack of consultation, and the dispute has fuelled demands for changes to Fifa’s governance. Last week Infantino wrote to all 211 member associations proposing an independent review of the governing body’s decision-making processes.

Fifa argued the timing and contents of Uefa’s applications were intended to influence Fifa’s leadership vote, saying: “Just before Fifa’s election, Uefa filed this 1782 Application (and three others) spreading misinformation regarding Mr Infantino,” Fifa said. “This court should reject any attempt to influence Fifa’s presidential election based on these grounds.”

Fifa has asked the US court to reject Uefa’s discovery motion, and the dispute will remain part of the legal record as Infantino faces re-election in March.