FIFA accuses European body UEFA of ‘smear campaign’ in filing related to World Cup sell-off plan

FIFA has accused European soccer body UEFA of a "smear campaign" in a court filing concerning FIFA President Gianni Infantino's withdrawn plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and other competitions. UEFA had previously filed requests for discovery of evidence related to the proposal in three U.S. courts. FIFA's filing in Colorado seeks to defer or drop this discovery process, arguing UEFA's actions are akin to press releases supporting their campaign. The proposal, involving Josh Kushner's Thrive Capital Management, aimed to sell stakes for $4.2 billion but was withdrawn after public backlash. UEFA also stated in court documents that it is preparing a criminal complaint against Infantino in Swiss courts for alleged financial mismanagement. FIFA contends UEFA's discovery request is flawed as it aids a non-existent foreign criminal proceeding.

FIFA has accused UEFA of a "smear campaign" and a "fishing expedition" after the European football body sought US court orders to obtain documents related to FIFA's now-scrapped World Cup investor plan. UEFA is pursuing this to potentially file a lawsuit in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino for alleged "criminal mismanagement." FIFA, in turn, has asked a US court to defer or allow it to oppose UEFA's requests, arguing that UEFA lacks the right to demand internal documents as no criminal proceedings currently exist. The FIFA filings contend that UEFA's actions are merely press releases supporting their campaign against FIFA and its leadership.

Investor Joshua Kushner has stated that political power struggles within global football led to the fallout over FIFA's plan to sell stakes in the World Cup. Kushner, whose firm Thrive Capital was involved in the now-scrapped proposal for a commercial subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), admitted his company would not have participated if they had foreseen the backlash. The FFE plan aimed to bring private investment into FIFA events by selling stakes in a new $20 billion subsidiary, with FIFA claiming it would have raised $4.2 billion for poorer nations. Critics, including UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, described the proposal as a "shady, opaque backroom deal" hatched in secret for investor profit. UEFA is currently preparing a criminal case against FIFA President Gianni Infantino.