UEFA isn't asking nicely anymore. European football's governing body has formally written to FIFA demanding answers and documents on a string of controversies tied to Gianni Infantino's presidency — and they want everything on the table by November 2.
The letter, sent by UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis to FIFA counterpart Mattias Grafstrom, covers a remarkable breadth of issues: the collapsed FIFA Forward Enterprise privatisation plan, the Folarin Balogun ban reversal, the origins of the FIFA Peace Prize, half-time show scheduling at the World Cup final, and the introduction of hydration breaks. That last one might sound trivial — until you consider it's sitting alongside questions about who controls FIFA's commercial future and whether its presidential election can be trusted at all.
The Kushner connection and the money trail
The FFE saga remains the centrepiece. Infantino pulled the proposal on August 1 after three confederations — including UEFA — rejected a plan to sell a 20% stake in a company running the World Cup and other competitions to private investors. UEFA declared it had lost confidence in Infantino shortly before that withdrawal.
But killing the proposal hasn't ended the scrutiny. The letter specifically asks why exclusivity as lead investor was granted to Joshua Kushner — brother of Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law — and how FIFA assessed the obvious conflict of interest given that connection also links Kushner to the FIFA Peace Prize.
There's also a financial question that won't go away. A recent Times report alleged a payment was made to Infantino by FIFA's 2026 World Cup organising company in 2024 that never appeared in FIFA's annual report. UEFA wants to know why.
The election question is the sharpest edge
With the deadline for presidential candidates set at November 18 — UEFA has pledged to back an alternative to Infantino — the independence of the electoral process is now directly in the crosshairs. UEFA's letter flags that Bruno Chiomento, chair of the electoral committee, has known Infantino for 20 years and attended the full five-week World Cup with all expenses covered by FIFA.
UEFA's ask is direct: would FIFA consider Chiomento stepping aside in favour of his deputy for the duration of the election process?
That's a pointed question. And the two-week deadline to answer it, alongside everything else in that letter, lands just days before the candidate submission window opens. The timing isn't subtle. Neither is UEFA's intent.
FIFA has been approached for comment.
