Pressure is intensifying on FIFA President Gianni Infantino as a controversial investment plan for the World Cup collapses and new allegations concerning his time as UEFA general secretary add to growing scrutiny of his leadership.

FIFA has accused unnamed critics of engaging in a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine the organization and its president, as tensions rise over Infantino’s plans for the future of world football.

The latest dispute follows the collapse of a proposal to establish a new FIFA subsidiary responsible for managing the men’s World Cup and other major competitions. The plan reportedly envisaged selling an external investor a stake of up to 20 percent, prompting strong opposition from UEFA, national football associations and some senior FIFA officials.

UEFA had threatened to consider boycotting future World Cups if the proposal went ahead, while critics inside and outside FIFA questioned the transparency and governance of the plan and called for Infantino to step down.

Facing mounting opposition, Infantino secured a public expression of support from FIFA’s Board of Management at a crisis meeting in Rabat, Morocco, earlier this week.

The controversy deepened on Friday after The Daily Telegraph reported that a six-figure payment had been made to a female employee who was alleged to have had a relationship with Infantino during his tenure as UEFA general secretary.

UEFA confirmed that the employee received a departure payment and that the organization also financed her MBA studies. It said both arrangements complied with the regulations in force at the time.

FIFA said Infantino “strongly denies” the allegations, describing them as “categorically untrue.”

In a statement issued on Saturday, FIFA did not directly refer to the newspaper report but said recent coverage had contained “unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims” concerning the organization and its president.

The escalating dispute has also cast a shadow over Infantino’s campaign for a fourth term as FIFA president. His position has come under particular pressure from UEFA, which said following the crisis meeting that it no longer had confidence in his leadership.

Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness has also called for Infantino’s resignation.

However, Infantino continues to enjoy significant support within FIFA’s global membership. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unanimously backed his leadership, while South American football’s governing body CONMEBOL has opposed attempts to remove him without a vote involving all FIFA member associations.

FIFA has insisted that political and leadership disputes should be resolved through the organization’s established democratic procedures rather than through allegations or public pressure.