From Zurich to New York, UEFA has opened an unusually broad challenge to FIFA’s leadership, asking Gianni Infantino and the world governing body to account for decisions ranging from private investment plans to contacts involving United States President Donald Trump during the 2026 World Cup.
The European confederation has submitted 42 written questions to FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström after Infantino asked members of the FIFA Council to put their concerns in writing at a meeting in Zurich. UEFA has set 2 November as the deadline for replies and supporting papers, arguing that the issues should not be left until the Council’s next gathering.
Questions over FIFA’s commercial plans
A central part of UEFA’s request concerns FIFA Forward Enterprise, the proposed vehicle intended to bring private capital into FIFA’s commercial activities at a reported valuation of $20 billion.
- UEFA has asked why Thrive Capital was chosen as the principal investor without a competitive selection process.
- It also wants FIFA to explain why an exclusive arrangement was pursued before the FIFA Council had been consulted.
- The investment firm is led by Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared Kushner is Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
- UEFA has requested disclosure of all papers connected to the project, including whether Infantino held any financial interest or received any personal benefit from it.
- The confederation has further questioned why FIFA sought outside investment despite its financial position and called for an independent examination of the president’s decisions and FIFA’s internal procedures.
The letter also seeks clarification on possible extra payments to Infantino, money paid to singer Marc Anthony for World Cup-related work, and spending on private flights and accommodation. UEFA has raised concerns as well about the independence of FIFA’s disciplinary and electoral bodies, along with the neutrality of the administration during a presidential election process.
Trump connections under scrutiny
UEFA’s questions extend beyond FIFA’s balance sheet and into Infantino’s relationship with Trump and figures around the US president.
- The confederation wants details of FIFA’s lease of office space in Trump Tower in New York, reported at about $4 million across seven years.
- It has sought information on reported discussions concerning a FIFA cryptocurrency.
- UEFA has also asked about FIFA’s commercial agreement with Kalshi, a company linked in the questions to Donald Trump Jr.
- Another issue is the creation of the FIFA Peace Prize, which was given to Trump without prior FIFA Council approval, as alleged in UEFA’s correspondence.
The confederation has stressed that its letter amounts to a request for answers, documents and scrutiny rather than a finding that wrongdoing has taken place.
Balogun case and World Cup decisions
The disciplinary case involving United States forward Folarin Balogun forms another strand of UEFA’s inquiry. Balogun’s red card was reviewed during the 2026 World Cup, and UEFA wants FIFA to specify what Trump requested in a telephone conversation with Infantino and whether the sanction could have been reconsidered without that intervention.
UEFA has also challenged match and tournament decisions made during the finals. Its questions include the 27-minute interval in the World Cup final and compulsory hydration breaks, which it says were introduced without consultation with the body responsible for the Laws of the Game.
With the 2 November deadline approaching, FIFA faces a detailed demand for records and explanations on governance, financial oversight and institutional independence. For Infantino, the pressure is not confined to one commercial deal or one disciplinary file: UEFA’s request places a wide stretch of his presidency under examination.
