UEFA has demanded written answers to 42 questions from FIFA president Gianni Infantino, giving football’s global governing body until 2 November to respond. The European football governing body is seeking detailed explanations and supporting documents concerning FIFA’s decision-making processes, a controversial commercial proposal, the FIFA Peace Prize awarded to US President Donald Trump, and the suspension of a red-card punishment involving American footballer Folarin Balogun at the most recent World Cup.
The questions reflect growing tensions between UEFA and FIFA over transparency, accountability and the role of FIFA’s governing council in major decisions. According to ESPN, which reviewed the correspondence, UEFA believes several important concerns remain unresolved despite FIFA’s subsequent statements on the disputed matters.
On 19 October, UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis sent an eight-page letter to FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström outlining the European body’s concerns. The letter referred to “serious concerns raised in relation to the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project and other matters relating to FIFA governance and decision-making”.
Dispute over FIFA’s commercial proposal
One of the central issues is the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative, which involved plans to raise funds by selling part of the commercial rights associated with the World Cup. The proposal reportedly involved Thrive Capital, the investment firm led by Josh Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.
The proposal triggered strong opposition from UEFA, which objected to the way the initiative was being pursued and raised concerns about the apparent lack of proper consultation with the FIFA Council. The council plays a central role in FIFA’s governance, making its involvement in significant strategic decisions an important issue for the organisation’s member associations.
UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA competitions after learning of the plan. The threat was subsequently withdrawn after Infantino reassured the European body that the proposal would not proceed in its original form amid widespread opposition.
However, the withdrawal of the initiative did not resolve the underlying questions about how it had been developed, who had authorised the proposed arrangement and why FIFA’s council had apparently not been adequately involved.
ESPN reported that UEFA wants to know who granted Thrive Capital exclusive advantages without consulting the FIFA Council. It is also seeking clarification about when the FFE project was first proposed, who introduced it and how the initiative progressed within FIFA.
Questions over Trump and Balogun
The correspondence also raises questions about the suspension of Balogun’s red-card punishment at the most recent World Cup. UEFA is seeking an account of the circumstances surrounding the decision, including the nature of a telephone conversation between Trump and Infantino.
According to ESPN, one of the questions concerns what Trump allegedly requested from Infantino during that conversation in relation to the removal of Balogun’s suspension. The letter seeks clarification rather than leaving the matter to speculation, with UEFA asking FIFA to provide a factual account and relevant supporting documentation.
The FIFA Peace Prize awarded to Trump is another subject of scrutiny. UEFA wants greater clarity about the circumstances and decision-making process surrounding the award, placing the issue within its broader examination of FIFA’s governance and the way significant decisions are reached.
The questions do not concern only individual incidents. Taken together, they focus on whether FIFA’s leadership has followed appropriate procedures, maintained transparency and ensured that institutional decisions are subject to proper oversight.
UEFA says key concerns remain unanswered
In the eight-page letter, Theodoridis told Grafström that several fundamental questions raised by members of the FIFA Council had not received satisfactory explanations. He also said requested documents had not been provided.
UEFA acknowledged FIFA’s subsequent statement concerning the disputed meeting, including the withdrawal of the FFE initiative, an admission of error and the announcement of possible governance reforms. However, the European body argued that the statement did not adequately explain how the decisions had been made or why the FIFA Council had not been involved at the appropriate stage.
The letter formally requests a written, factual response to every question, together with all relevant supporting documents, by Monday, 2 November. The deadline is intended to ensure that UEFA receives specific answers rather than general assurances about future reforms.
The dispute has broader implications for relations between football’s two major governing bodies. FIFA oversees the sport globally, while UEFA governs European football and represents its member associations within the international game. Their relationship is important to the organisation of international competitions, commercial arrangements and the administration of football across national borders.
UEFA has also taken a position against Infantino’s leadership and his anticipated attempt to secure re-election as FIFA president in March 2027. The demand for answers therefore comes amid an increasingly contentious debate over the direction of FIFA and the extent of oversight exercised over its president.
FIFA’s response to the 42 questions could help determine whether the latest dispute leads to clearer explanations and concrete governance changes or further strains relations between the organisations. For UEFA, the immediate priority is to obtain a documented account of the decisions in question and establish whether the appropriate procedures were followed.
