Uefa gives Fifa two-week deadline to hand over documents on World Cup sell-off plan

Uefa has given Fifa a two-week deadline to release documents related to Gianni Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan and other governance issues, in a letter sent on Monday to Fifa general secretary Mattias Grafström by Uefa general secretary Theodore Theodoridis.

The letter is accompanied by an eight-page document containing more than 50 questions about Fifa’s handling of dozens of matters over the past 12 months, including the proposed sale of 20% of its commercial rights, the Folarin Balogun affair, the peace prize, relations with Donald Trump and the arrangements for next year’s Fifa presidential election; Uefa’s paper also repeats calls for a "genuinely independent" governance review and raises allegations of potential conflicts of interest at Fifa.

Uefa’s intervention follows last week’s meeting of the Fifa Council in Zurich, the first gathering since the emergence of the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) controversy in July, at which Infantino listened to questions on FFE and other matters but declined to provide substantive answers and asked council members to submit questions in writing ahead of the next meeting in Doha on 16 December.

In his letter Theodoridis wrote: "These explanations have not begun satisfactorily to address a number of fundamental questions raised by Council members. "Others remain unanswered, and the information and documentation requested have not been provided. "Following the invitation made during the meeting to submit our questions in writing, we therefore enclose a consolidated set of questions and requests for information. "We formally request a substantive written response to each question, together with all supporting documentation by Monday 2nd November. Any refusal to disclose information or documents should be justified individually, with a clear explanation of the specific grounds relied upon. "These questions require answers now. They cannot be deferred until the next meeting of the Fifa Council – nor can future governance reforms substitute for scrutiny of decisions already taken and accountability for them."

Uefa’s accompanying document describes the set of questions as a detailed critique of Fifa’s leadership under Infantino and states that, "as it stands, [Infantino] is on course to be re-elected unopposed as president next year," while adding that Uefa is increasingly hopeful of identifying a candidate to challenge him before nominations close on 18 November; Uefa also seeks explanations for decisions including the move of the men’s World Cup draw to Washington DC from Las Vegas, the introduction of hydration breaks and the 27-minute half-time at the World Cup final.

Uefa’s paper states: "A series of decisions, transactions and interventions involving the Fifa President, the President of the United States and individuals associated with him raise serious questions concerning potential conflicts of interest, transparency and institutional accountability," and it queries the amount Fifa is paying to rent office space in Trump Tower while citing a Times report that Infantino in 2024 "received substantial additional remuneration which was not disclosed in Fifa’s annual report"; Fifa has said it "does not pay a second salary to the Fifa president and complies with all reporting requirements in relation to compensation".

Uefa also raises concerns about March’s presidential election and the role of Bruno Chiomento, chair of Fifa’s electoral committee, saying: "We understand that Mr Chiomento has known the Fifa President for approximately 20 years and is regularly invited to Fifa events and competitions at Fifa’s expense," and "We further understand that he attended the entire 2026 World Cup as an accredited individual, with his expenses covered by Fifa for more than five weeks." The document requests a complete list of Fifa guests in VIP and VVIP areas at the World Cup final on the grounds that "numerous guests were apparently given priority over Presidents of Member Associations and Secretaries General of Confederations"; Fifa has been contacted for comment.

Uefa has set a deadline of Monday 2nd November for substantive written responses with supporting documentation, and the Fifa Council is due to reconvene in Doha on 16 December while nominations for the presidential election close on 18 November ahead of the vote in March.