FIFA lawyers have asked a judge in Florida to reject UEFA’s request for evidence connected to the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, accusing European football’s governing body of acting in bad faith and attempting to pressure the organisation ahead of its presidential election.

The request was made in a 21-page filing submitted late Monday to the court in the Southern District of Florida. FIFA’s legal team urged the judge to deny UEFA’s application for discovery concerning the proposed commercial project.

According to the filing, UEFA sought authorisation to obtain evidence through three courts, including courts in Manhattan and Miami. The requested material was intended to help prepare a possible criminal complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Switzerland over alleged financial mismanagement.

FIFA lawyers rejected UEFA’s approach, writing that “UEFA’s conduct demonstrates that its (court filing) was made in bad faith and for the purpose of harassment.” The allegations remain part of the dispute between the two football organisations and have not been independently established.

Dispute over the FIFA Forward plan

The FIFA Forward Enterprise plan involved a proposed subsidiary that would sell at least 20% of FIFA’s future commercial rights for $4.2 billion to investors led by Josh Kushner. FIFA had described the initiative as a way to accelerate football development around the world beyond Europe’s wealthier football markets.

The plan became public through media reports on July 28 and was abandoned within days after triggering widespread criticism. FIFA’s then-chief operating officer Kevin Lamour criticised Infantino’s leadership following the disclosure, while senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned in protest and said the deal was bad for football.

UEFA described the proposed valuation in its own court filings as a “fraudulently off-market price promoted by Infantino for his own benefit.” FIFA lawyers disputed that characterisation and said UEFA had wrongly suggested that Infantino sought a personal financial interest in the project.

The FIFA filing said UEFA “falsely asserts that Mr. Infantino sought to have a personal financial interest in the FFE project.”

Election timing raised in filing

FIFA’s legal response also linked UEFA’s discovery request to the organisation’s forthcoming presidential contest. The filing referred to November 18 as the deadline for potential candidates to enter the election, which is scheduled for the following March in Morocco.

Infantino plans to seek a fourth and final term as FIFA president through 2031, while UEFA has been preparing an election challenge to his leadership. FIFA lawyers argued that the court process should not be used to affect the contest.

“This court should reject any attempt to influence FIFA’s presidential election based on these grounds,” the lawyers wrote.

Infantino later apologised for errors in the handling of the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan and offered to establish an independent external review of FIFA’s governance. The available information does not indicate whether the Florida judge granted or denied FIFA’s request, or whether UEFA’s discovery application was authorised.