FIFA: UEFA raises its voice and directly attacks Infantino's project

The standoff between FIFA and UEFA has taken on a new dimension. Opposed to the reform project championed by Gianni Infantino, the governing body of European football has published a particularly scathing statement denouncing the methods used by FIFA to secure the support of its 211 member associations.

At the heart of the controversy is FIFA's plan to create a commercial company to manage the rights to several of its major competitions, including the Men's and Women's World Cups and the Club World Cup. The aim would then be to open the capital of this entity to an investment fund, a scenario that is causing serious concern within European football.

UEFA is particularly critical of the September 19 deadline set by FIFA for national federations to approve the project. According to the organization headed by Aleksander Čeferin, this deadline amounts to a form of pressure being exerted on the associations.

In its statement, UEFA argues that the threat to withdraw the single payment offer from federations that fail to respond within the deadline perfectly illustrates FIFA's strategy. The European governing body also states that it has consulted with numerous stakeholders in world football and asserts that significant and growing opposition is emerging against this reform.

The European organization goes further, accusing FIFA of prioritizing financial interests over those of football. It believes that the resources generated by the sport should primarily benefit federations, leagues, clubs, players, and fans, rather than private investors.

This latest development confirms the extent of the tensions between the two main governing bodies of world football. While FIFA continues its ambition to transform its economic model, UEFA intends to maintain the pressure and promises to defend a governance it considers more respectful of the interests of the entire football ecosystem.