FIFA’s legal team has accused UEFA of harassing Gianni Infantino, urging a Florida judge to reject UEFA’s request for evidence discovery related to a contentious World Cup private investor initiative. The 21-page court filing submitted in the Southern District of Florida argues against UEFA’s claims that FIFA’s president sought personal gain from the project, which sparked controversy in July and was swiftly abandoned.
UEFA’s subsequent request for discovery across three jurisdictions, including Manhattan and Miami, was characterized by FIFA’s lawyers as a move aimed at building a case of financial mismanagement against Infantino in Switzerland. The filing contends that UEFA’s actions were driven by bad faith and harassment rather than genuine legal concerns.
The document also highlights the upcoming deadline of November 18 for potential candidates to enter the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March in Morocco. Infantino intends to run for a final term extending through 2031, and FIFA’s attorneys have emphasized the need to ensure that the election remains free from external influence.
The dispute stems from Infantino’s proposal to establish a FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) subsidiary, intending to sell a minimum of 20% of FIFA’s future commercial rights for $4.2 billion to investors led by Josh Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump. UEFA had previously alleged that the valuation presented by Infantino was inflated for his personal benefit, suggesting that he sought a lucrative role within the subsidiary.
The controversial plan, unveiled in July, faced widespread criticism within FIFA, leading to the resignation of key officials who questioned Infantino’s leadership. In response, Infantino acknowledged mistakes in the handling of the sell-off proposal and offered to initiate an independent external review of FIFA’s governance practices.
FIFA has consistently maintained that the FFE project was designed to promote global soccer development beyond the traditional European power centers. In a related development, Infantino communicated to FIFA member federations his willingness to increase cash payments from the organization’s reserves, amid calls from various soccer bodies for enhanced financial support. Discussions on financial and governance matters are expected at an upcoming FIFA Council meeting in Zurich, as Infantino navigates the aftermath of the contentious World Cup sell-off controversy.