FIFA has accused European football’s governing body of launching a “smear campaign” against Gianni Infantino in a challenge to legal action over the aborted attempt to sell part of the World Cup to private investors.

UEFA has filed legal cases in American courts seeking evidence relating to the controversial venture and warned it is considering launching criminal proceedings against Mr Infantino in Switzerland where FIFA has its headquarters. FIFA has now filed a response in a New York court, saying: "While these applications are styled as legal pleadings with captions and docket numbers, they are little more than press releases in further support of UEFA's smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership."

UEFA is trying to oust Mr Infantino from power with a resignation or in the FIFA presidential election in March. FIFA's lawyers say: "UEFA's application suffers from a fundamental defect: UEFA seeks discovery in aid of a foreign criminal proceeding that does not exist and that UEFA admittedly lacks the authority to initiate."

There is a defence of the attempt to launch the $20bn World Cup subsidiary, which Mr Infantino's senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, called a "bad deal" for football when quitting the role in a statement to Sky News. FIFA claims UEFA was acting out of self-interest to protect its own competitions and that any disputes should be handled within football not the courts.