FIFA and UEFA Clash Over World Cup Shares in Smear Campaign Dispute

FIFA, the international governing body of association football, has characterized the legal proceedings initiated by European football's governing body UEFA in U.S. courts regarding a World Cup share sale plan as a smear campaign.

Share Sale Plan and Legal Process

FIFA criticized UEFA for filing petitions for discovery in U.S. courts regarding a failed plan prepared by President Gianni Infantino to sell shares in the World Cup and other tournaments. UEFA had applied to three different U.S. courts last week to gather evidence concerning the proposal.

In a motion to intervene filed in the U.S. District Court in Colorado, FIFA stated that these applications served more as press releases than legal actions and supported a smear campaign waged by UEFA against the FIFA leadership.

Applications in U.S. Courts and Investors

One of UEFA's discovery requests was made to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeking documents from Josh Kushner and investment firm Thrive Capital Management. Thrive had been involved in Infantino's $4.2 billion FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.

Withdrawal of the Plan and Reactions

Following intense backlash, FIFA withdrew the proposal on August 1, just days after it was made public. In a statement, Josh Kushner noted that they had failed to foresee the political dynamics of global football and the scale of the reactions from certain quarters.

Potential Swiss Investigation and Allegations

UEFA lawyers stated in court documents that the plan aimed to unjustly profit from FIFA assets and that they were preparing a criminal complaint in Swiss courts alleging financial mismanagement. FIFA argued that UEFA was seeking evidence for a foreign criminal case that does not exist and over which UEFA has no jurisdiction.