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FIFA accused UEFA of waging a \u201csmear campaign\u201d against it and President Gianni Infantino, escalating a dispute over \u200cthe abandoned proposal to sell a stake in the world governing body\u2019s commercial rights, according to a court filing seen by Reuters.<\/strong><\/p>\n UEFA last week submitted an ex parte application\u00a0in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York seeking permission to obtain testimony and documents from U.S.-based entities for use in potential criminal \u200bproceedings in Switzerland.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile these applications are styled as legal pleadings with captions and docket numbers, they are little more than \u200bpress releases in further support of UEFA\u2019s smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership,\u201d FIFA said in the \u2060filing.<\/p>\n Reuters has contacted FIFA and UEFA for comment.<\/strong><\/p>\n UEFA said it was considering criminal proceedings against Infantino and other FIFA officials over FIFA Forward \u200bEnterprise (FFE), a proposed entity that would have held commercial rights linked to the men\u2019s and women\u2019s World Cups.<\/p>\n UEFA alleged the proposal was developed without \u200badequate consultation with FIFA\u2019s governing bodies and 211 member associations.<\/p>\n In a motion to intervene seen by Reuters filed on September 1 by FIFA (AMERICAS) Inc. and FWC2026 US, Inc., FIFA asked the court to defer ruling on UEFA\u2019s application or allow it to oppose the request.<\/p>\n FIFA argued that UEFA was seeking discovery for \u201cpurportedly contemplated (but \u200bnon-existent) Swiss criminal proceedings\u201d. The world governing body also alleged UEFA had sought to derail the FFE proposal from the outset.<\/p>\n The proposal was \u200bwithdrawn on July 31 after opposition from UEFA and other regional governing bodies.<\/p>\n \u201cRather than participate in that democratic process, UEFA issued a press release, the beginning \u200cof a \u2060weeks-long smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership,\u201d FIFA said in the filing.<\/p>\n FIFA further argued that UEFA\u2019s opposition was motivated by a desire to preserve European football\u2019s dominance.<\/p>\n MOUNTING PRESSURE ON INFANTINO<\/strong><\/p>\n Infantino, up for re-election for a fourth term in March 2027, has been criticised since tabling the now-abandoned proposal, with several countries withdrawing their support for his candidacy.<\/p>\n The Swiss-Italian administrator is under pressure from three confederations to resign, including UEFA, the \u200bAsian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, which \u200brepresents North and Central America \u2060and the Caribbean.<\/p>\n The regional governing bodies have discussed a potential vote of no confidence in Infantino.<\/p>\n Infantino, who retains support from the African and South American confederations, has sought to sideline the confederations and appeal directly \u200bto individual members.<\/p>\n UEFA SEEKS REFORMS<\/strong><\/p>\n UEFA, in a statement last week, said that it would work with partner \u200bconfederations to ensure \u2060member associations are offered a \u201ccredible alternative\u201d committed to reform, if Infantino seeks another term.<\/p>\n UEFA also provisionally suspended plans to boycott FIFA competitions, paving the way for all qualified teams to participate in next month\u2019s Under-20 Women\u2019s World Cup in Poland, the first major tournament that could have been affected \u2060by the \u200bstandoff.<\/p>\n However, the body said its members had unanimously mandated the confederation to pursue \u201cevery available \u200binstitutional, political and legal avenue\u201d to secure reforms and restore limits on presidential authority.<\/p>\n The confederation also called for \u201ca genuinely independent external review\u201d of the failed FIFA proposal, saying: \u201cFIFA cannot \u200binvestigate itself and expect the football community simply to accept its conclusions.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n