Uefa gives Fifa until 2 November to answer questions on Infantino controversies
European football body demands records on disputed investment plan and election safeguards
Uefa has given Fifa until 2 November to answer a series of questions and provide documents concerning controversies from Gianni Infantino’s presidency, escalating a dispute over the governing body’s transparency and decision-making.
In a letter to Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, Uefa general secretary Theodore Theodoridis set out questions on behalf of European members of the Fifa Council. The letter follows a meeting in Zurich last week at which council members questioned Infantino. Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt said afterwards that members had been asked to submit questions in writing.
Questions over World Cup investment proposal
Uefa is seeking records on the development of the Fifa Forward Enterprise plan, which proposed selling private investors a 20 per cent stake in a company that would run the World Cup and other competitions. Infantino withdrew the proposal on 1 August after three continental confederations, including Uefa, rejected it.
Theodoridis wrote that the withdrawal, Infantino’s acknowledgement of mistakes and pledges of possible governance reform “do not answer how the relevant decisions were taken or why the Fifa Council was not involved at the appropriate stage”.
The letter asks why Joshua Kushner was granted exclusivity as lead investor, and how his family links to Donald Trump and any potential conflict of interest were assessed. It also seeks the valuation behind the proposal and an explanation of why private investment was considered necessary.
Balogun case and election process also under scrutiny
Uefa has requested all documents concerning the Folarin Balogun case, including correspondence between Fifa’s disciplinary committee and the administration relating to the committee’s decision to suspend his one-match ban. The letter also raises questions about the planned World Cup final half-time show, hydration breaks at the finals and the origins of the Fifa Peace Prize.
Uefa further wants an explanation of a payment made to Infantino by the company organising the 2026 World Cup in 2024, following a report by The Times, and why it was not disclosed in Fifa’s annual report.
On the presidential election process, Uefa questioned the independence of electoral committee chair Bruno Chiomento, noting that he has known Infantino for 20 years and attended the World Cup for its full five-week duration with expenses paid by Fifa. The letter asked whether Chiomento should step aside in favour of his deputy during the election, citing the need to protect the process’s “independence and perceived impartiality”.
The latest demands follow Uefa’s announcement in August that it had lost confidence in Infantino over the Fifa Forward Enterprise plan. Uefa has said it intends to identify a credible alternative candidate for next year’s Fifa presidential election. The deadline for nominations is 18 November.