FIFA president Gianni Infantino has denied allegations that he had an inappropriate relationship with a female UEFA employee who later received a departure payment from European football’s governing body.

UEFA has confirmed that it made the payment and also covered fees for an MBA course, but it has not confirmed the alleged relationship or described the money as a payoff.

FIFA says the allegations concerning Infantino are false and defamatory.

The allegations concern Infantino’s years at UEFA, where he served as general secretary from 2009 until his election as FIFA president in February 2016. A media investigation alleged that the woman received a six-figure sum after the alleged relationship.

UEFA has confirmed the existence of a departure payment and the MBA funding, saying both were consistent with the staff regulations in force at the time.

UEFA added that those regulations have been tightened since 2016 and that its current employment rules apply across the organisation.

That distinction is central to the case.

The payment itself is confirmed; the allegation that it was intended to conceal or resolve a personal relationship with Infantino is not.

FIFA says no UEFA or FIFA employee has raised a complaint about Infantino’s behaviour and rejects any suggestion that he engaged in inappropriate conduct or violated governing rules.

No evidence made public so far establishes that the payment was ordered by Infantino or made because of an alleged relationship.

The controversy arrives during a much broader challenge to Infantino’s leadership.

On July 28, FIFA proposed creating FIFA Forward Enterprise, a commercial subsidiary that would combine commercial rights and tournament operations and seek up to $4.2 billion from minority investors on an implied valuation of about $20 billion.

FIFA said it would retain control and use the structure to increase development funding for its 211 member associations.

The proposal triggered fierce opposition over governance, transparency and the involvement of private capital in assets connected to competitions including the World Cup.

FIFA subsequently abandoned the proposal and acknowledged that mistakes had been made in how the process was handled.

Senior FIFA management nevertheless reaffirmed its support for Infantino after a crisis meeting in Morocco.

Opposition outside FIFA has continued: UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF have jointly accused FIFA’s leadership of a fundamental breach of trust over the failed investment plan, while other football officials have called for leadership or governance changes.

Infantino therefore remains FIFA president, but the personal allegations have emerged at a particularly sensitive moment.

They are separate from the dispute over FIFA Forward Enterprise and should not be treated as evidence of wrongdoing in that controversy.

Equally, UEFA’s confirmation of a departure payment does not establish the alleged relationship or prove that the money represented a payoff.

The confirmed position is narrower: UEFA paid the former employee under rules it says existed at the time, while Infantino categorically denies the allegations concerning his conduct.

The political consequences will now unfold against FIFA’s next presidential election.

Infantino announced earlier this year that he intends to seek re-election, with the vote scheduled for March 18, 2027, at the FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco.

His immediate challenge is no longer simply defending one disputed allegation, but rebuilding confidence among football organisations that are increasingly questioning the governance of FIFA under his leadership.