Uefa has given Fifa until 2 November to hand over key documents and answer a long list of questions about how the governing body is run. The demand sits in a letter from Uefa general secretary Theodore Theodoridis, which BBC Sport has seen, and it runs to eight pages and 42 questions. Fifa president Gianni Infantino apologised at last Thursday's Fifa Council for his World Cup sell-off plan, but Uefa says he did not explain how the proposal came about.
What Uefa is asking for
The letter says Fifa has failed to address "a number of fundamental questions" and that the information and documentation requested "have not been provided". Uefa also says that pulling the plan, admitting mistakes and announcing "potential governance reforms" does not tell anyone how the decisions were taken, or why the Fifa Council was not involved at the right stage.
Much of the document concerns the Fifa Forward Enterprise, known as FFE, the private investment scheme that surfaced in the days after the World Cup final. Uefa wants to know when the idea was first explored, who authorised it, why Thrive Capital was picked as lead investor without a competitive tender, and why an exclusivity agreement was signed without consulting the Council. The letter also asks why more money for member associations was tied to outside investment, when Fifa could have paid it from its own reserves.
Balogun, salaries and the rest
The questions go well beyond FFE. Uefa asks about the Folarin Balogun case, in which the USA striker avoided an immediate suspension after a red card at the World Cup, and it asks for the full written reasons for that decision and any related correspondence. It also asks why no action was taken against DR Congo over an ineligible player reportedly fielded in World Cup qualifying.
Other items include a reported additional salary for the Fifa president from the US World Cup organising entity, the Fifa Peace Prize, a $75m investment linked to the Board of Peace, an office lease in New York, the extended half-time interval at the final and the guest lists in the VIP areas. These are questions put by Uefa, not findings, and Fifa has been approached for comment. BBC Sport reports that sources say Fifa's ability to answer some of them is limited by the legal action Uefa has launched in the United States.
What happens on 2 November
Uefa has not said what it will do if the deadline passes. It has already filed legal papers in the US asking for disclosure of evidence and documents, and it has warned that it could lodge a criminal complaint in Switzerland. Fifa has meanwhile agreed to offer an extra £2.6bn for football development, which doubles the planned distribution funding for member associations from 2027 to 2030.
The politics are sharpening. Infantino, who has been Fifa president since 2016, is standing for re-election for a third time, and Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt, a Fifa vice-president, said that if he does not answer the questions, "he's not fit to be Fifa president". Fifa has two weeks. How it answers, and whether it answers in writing or in person, will decide whether this becomes a lasting split with Europe or a row that fades once the paperwork is in.
Key facts: Uefa letter to Fifa from general secretary Theodore Theodoridis, reported by BBC Sport on 19 October 2026. Eight pages, 42 questions, response deadline 2 November 2026. Fifa has been approached for comment. Source: BBC Sport (Dale Johnson and Dan Roan).
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