FIFA blasts UEFA ‘smear campaign,’ fights World Cup plan disclosures

What the report says

FIFA is pushing back against requests from UEFA for U.S. court assistance in obtaining documents tied to FIFA’s short-lived plan to sell investment stakes linked to the World Cup. According to Al Jazeera’s report on Sept. 3, 2026, UEFA is seeking testimony and records in three U.S. states as part of possible legal action over the plan and what it has described as improper governance under FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

FIFA responded by asking U.S. judges to delay the requests or allow it to formally oppose them. In filings cited by Al Jazeera, FIFA portrayed UEFA’s move as a “smear campaign” and argued that UEFA is trying to bypass Swiss courts while seeking internal correspondence and other sensitive material. FIFA also said UEFA lacks standing because no criminal case is yet underway and, in FIFA’s view, UEFA has not shown financial harm.

The dispute stems from FIFA’s proposed investor model unveiled in July, which quickly drew backlash across football. FIFA later abandoned the idea, but the controversy escalated into a wider power struggle around Infantino’s leadership. UEFA has been among the strongest critics, and it has support from the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, which recently signed a joint letter pressing for changes in football governance.

The episode matters because it combines a fight over transparency with a broader contest over influence in global football ahead of next year’s FIFA presidential election, where Infantino had been expected to seek another term.