Uefa has set Fifa a two-week deadline to disclose important records concerning Gianni Infantino’s proposed World Cup commercial rights deal and several governance matters, intensifying its criticism of football’s global governing body.
Theodore Theodoridis, Uefa’s general secretary, sent a letter to his Fifa counterpart, Mattias Grafström, along with an eight-page document containing more than 50 questions about how Fifa has managed numerous contentious matters during the past year. The topics include plans to sell a 20% stake in its commercial rights, the Folarin Balogun case, the peace prize, connections with Donald Trump and preparations for next year’s presidential election. The document also identifies possible conflicts of interest within Fifa and renews demands for a governance review that is fully independent.
The action follows last week’s Fifa Council meeting in Zurich, its first gathering since concerns surrounding Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) emerged in July. Infantino heard questions about FFE and other subjects but did not provide detailed responses. Instead, he asked council members to submit their questions in writing before the next meeting in Doha on 16 December.
In a letter issued on Monday, Theodoridis described that response as inadequate and called for both answers and supporting records to be delivered by 2 November.
Theodoridis said the explanations provided so far had failed to resolve several fundamental concerns raised by council members. He added that other questions remained unanswered and that the requested information and documents had still not been supplied.
He explained that, following the invitation made during the meeting, Uefa was submitting a consolidated collection of written questions and requests for information.
The letter formally requested a detailed written reply to every question, accompanied by all relevant documentation, by Monday 2 November. It added that any decision to withhold material should be justified separately and supported by a clear explanation of the grounds for doing so.
Theodoridis stressed that the issues required immediate answers and should not be postponed until the next Fifa Council meeting. He also argued that future governance changes could not replace proper examination of previous decisions or accountability for them.
The attached document and its additional questions amount to a severe assessment of Fifa’s leadership under Infantino. He currently appears likely to secure another term as president without opposition, although Uefa is increasingly optimistic that a rival candidate can be found before nominations close on 18 November.
Alongside requests for further information about FFE, Balogun and Trump, Uefa is seeking clarification about the procedures behind other significant Fifa decisions made over the past year. These include relocating the men’s World Cup draw from Las Vegas to Washington DC, introducing hydration breaks and scheduling a 27-minute half-time interval for the World Cup final.
Uefa said that several decisions, financial arrangements and interventions involving the Fifa president, the president of the United States and people connected to him had created major concerns about possible conflicts of interest, openness and institutional responsibility.
Questions have also been raised about the amount Fifa pays to lease offices in Trump Tower and a recent report alleging that Infantino received substantial additional compensation in 2024 that did not appear in Fifa’s annual report. Fifa has responded that its president does not receive a second salary and that the organisation complies with all compensation disclosure requirements.
Uefa has also expressed concerns about the presidential election scheduled for March, particularly the role of Bruno Chiomento, chair of Fifa’s electoral committee. Its document says Chiomento is believed to have known Infantino for about 20 years and is regularly invited to Fifa events and tournaments at the organisation’s expense. It also states that he attended the entire 2026 World Cup with accreditation and had more than five weeks of expenses paid by Fifa.
Uefa has additionally asked for a complete record of Fifa’s guests in the VIP and VVIP sections at the World Cup final. It said many guests appeared to have received priority over presidents of member associations and confederation general secretaries. Fifa has been asked to respond.
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