Fifa has accused Uefa of a "smear campaign against it and its leadership" in a challenge to litigation over president Gianni Infantino's scrapped plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Last week European football's governing body filed legal papers in the US requesting disclosure of evidence and documents from Fifa as part of potential criminal claims in Switzerland.

In a dramatic escalation, Uefa accused Infantino of "criminal mismanagement" and "a fraudulently off-market price promoted by [him] for his own benefit" over the now-shelved Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme. However, Fifa has responded with court filings requesting that permission for access to documents be deferred, claiming Uefa's argument "suffers from a fundamental defect" and "legal deficiencies."

Fifa said it had "made clear" that FFE was "only a proposal," adding that Uefa's "economic motivation" was to prevent smaller countries from having the "financial strength to compete with the European elite." Uefa has declined to comment, although insiders believe that if Fifa has nothing to hide, it should disclose the documents.

Uefa has also asked a court in New York to approve a legal document ordering testimony from venture capitalist Joshua Kushner and his company Thrive Eternal, who was set to be the lead investor in FFE. Kushner expressed regret, saying: "While we stand behind the motivations of FFE, we failed to appreciate the political dynamics of global football."