FIFA–UEFA RIFT DEEPENS AS PRESSURE MOUNTS ON GIANNI INFANTINO
FIFA accuses UEFA of a coordinated smear campaign against President Gianni Infantino amid a failed $4.2B deal and a US court filing seeking
The increasingly bitter dispute between FIFA and UEFA has entered a new phase, with FIFA accusing UEFA of orchestrating a coordinated campaign to undermine the organisation and its president, Gianni Infantino.
The latest confrontation follows a Daily Telegraph report concerning payments made by UEFA to a former staff member who reportedly had personal ties to Infantino during his time as UEFA general secretary. UEFA confirmed the former employee received a six-figure departure payment and £45,000 towards an MBA programme, while Infantino rejected the allegations as “categorically untrue” and defamatory. The payments themselves have been confirmed, but the allegations surrounding them remain disputed.
The more significant battle, however, centres on FIFA's abandoned $4.2 billion commercial investment proposal. FIFA had proposed selling a 20% stake in a new commercial vehicle linked to World Cup rights, but several confederations, led by UEFA, opposed the plan. The proposal was eventually withdrawn.
On August 27, UEFA escalated the dispute by seeking documents through US courts relating to the proposed transaction. UEFA says the deal could involve potential criminal mismanagement and has questioned the valuation of the proposed investment. Those remain allegations made by UEFA and have not been established as criminal findings.
The confrontation is particularly significant because Infantino is expected to seek another term as FIFA president in March 2027. UEFA's 55 member associations constitute a powerful voting bloc, but they do not control the FIFA Congress, where every national federation has one vote. Support from the other confederations will therefore remain crucial.
The dispute is now about more than Infantino personally. It raises broader questions about FIFA's financial governance, transparency, presidential authority and the role of the confederations in major commercial decisions.
With the 2027 election approaching, the FIFA–UEFA confrontation could become one of the defining governance battles in world football.
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ASIO publishes information for public interest, research, and educational purposes. Allegations reported are not determinations of guilt. All individuals and organizations are presumed innocent until proven otherwise by a competent legal authority.
