FIFA lodged its opposition in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, pushing back against UEFA’s attempt to obtain documents and testimony for use in a planned criminal complaint in Switzerland against Gianni Infantino.

UEFA’s brief contained “numerous false or misleading statements about Fifa and Infantino,” FIFA told the court, according to the Reuters wire report.

FIFA rejected the central allegation that its president had anything to gain personally.

“With no basis whatsoever, UEFA suggests that Mr Infantino sought to profit personally from the FFE proposal,” the filing states, as reported by Emirates 24/7.

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The plan that blew up

FFE, short for FIFA Forward Enterprise, was FIFA’s proposal to spin its commercial rights, including broadcast, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing, into a subsidiary that would have sold up to 21% to outside investors. Sportico reported the offer would have raised about $4.2 billion in cash at a $20 billion valuation, with a group led by Joshua Kushner’s Thrive expected to lead the investment.

The proposal collapsed within weeks. UEFA threatened a boycott of FIFA competitions over the plan, and the confederations of Asia and North America joined it in attacking the process.

UEFA’s Florida filing argued that FIFA had undervalued its own commercial rights and had not tested the price through an open auction. FIFA calls that argument a category error.

“UEFA, whether deliberately or through ignorance, conflates equity value with enterprise value,” the filing reads, with FIFA arguing that its commercial enterprise is worth more than $30 billion. FIFA also insists the plan would have needed sign-off from the FIFA Council and the member associations before proceeding.

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Congress vote scheduled for March in Rabat

Infantino is standing for re-election on 18 March 2027 at the FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco, ESPN reported after he confirmed his bid earlier this year. No challenger has yet declared, and the nomination deadline is 18 November 2026.

CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is the name most often floated as a challenger, with UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation likely to back him. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has ruled himself out.

FIFA told the judge that UEFA’s request under Section 1782, the US statute that allows discovery for use in foreign proceedings, had been timed to damage Infantino before the vote.

Each of FIFA’s 211 member associations casts its own ballot; a confederation can lobby but does not deliver its members’ votes. UEFA has not publicly responded to FIFA’s Monday filing. The Southern District of Florida judge will now rule on whether to grant the discovery, a decision that will determine whether UEFA’s planned Swiss criminal complaint against Infantino can move forward before nominations close in November.

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