In a filing to a US federal court in Florida, FIFA urged the court to reject UEFA’s request for access to testimony and documents connected to the proposed commercial venture, which was abandoned in July following opposition from several football confederations.
UEFA had asked the US court for permission to obtain evidence that it says could be used in a planned criminal complaint in Switzerland concerning Infantino and the FFE proposal.
FIFA rejects UEFA allegations
UEFA has alleged that Infantino and a small group of advisers and investors developed the FFE plan without proper consultation with FIFA’s governing bodies.
The proposal involved transferring commercial rights linked to the World Cup and other major FIFA competitions into a new subsidiary, with private investors potentially acquiring a stake.
UEFA has also questioned the valuation of the proposed enterprise and alleged that FIFA’s process failed to adequately test the value of the commercial rights.
FIFA strongly rejected those allegations in its court filing, describing statements made by UEFA as “false or misleading”.
FIFA also rejected any suggestion that Infantino intended to personally profit from the proposed transaction and argued that the FFE plan would have required approval from FIFA’s member associations and the FIFA Council.
Dispute over the value of FIFA Forward Enterprise
A major point of disagreement concerns the valuation of FFE.
UEFA's filing reportedly stated that investors would have paid $4.2 billion for a stake in the company, with an equity valuation of approximately $20 billion.
FIFA argued that UEFA was confusing the company’s equity value with its overall enterprise value. According to FIFA’s court filing, FFE’s enterprise value was well above $30 billion.
The FFE project was ultimately abandoned in July after opposition from several confederations, including UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation, amid concerns about consultation and governance.
Election adds another layer to the dispute
The legal confrontation comes months before FIFA’s presidential election, scheduled for March 2027, when Infantino is seeking a fourth term.
FIFA has argued that UEFA’s legal actions are connected to the election and could influence the presidential race.
UEFA has not immediately responded to the latest FIFA filing, according to Reuters.
The dispute is part of a broader disagreement over FIFA’s governance, commercial strategy and decision-making processes. Infantino has also recently proposed a review of FIFA’s decision-making structures amid tensions with several confederations.
For now, the allegations remain contested positions in an ongoing legal dispute. The US court has yet to determine whether UEFA will obtain the requested evidence.
The case could have wider implications for the relationship between FIFA and UEFA as football’s global governing body approaches its 2027 presidential election.