UEFA preparing criminal legal action against Infantino
UEFA is preparing criminal legal action against FIFA president Gianni Infantino in Switzerland and seeking US court documents over a scrapped World Cup stake-sale plan.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- UEFA is preparing criminal legal proceedings against FIFA president Gianni Infantino
- The dispute centers on a scrapped plan to sell World Cup stakes to private investors
- UEFA is applying to US courts for documents to back future criminal filings in Switzerland
- European football bodies claim the proposed stake valuation was fraudulently low
European football governing body UEFA is preparing criminal legal proceedings against FIFA president Gianni Infantino over a now-scrapped plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup and other major competitions to private investors.
Shortly after the summer World Cup, Infantino proposed the creation of a new entity named Fifa Forward Enterprise, or FFE, which would have sold stakes in FIFA football tournaments to private backers. The initiative was ultimately shelved following widespread backlash across the sport.
Key figures from UEFA and European football convened in Monaco ahead of the Champions League draw, placing Infantino's status firmly on the agenda.
In an official statement sent to media, UEFA announced that attendees unanimously mandated leadership to pursue institutional, political, and legal avenues to secure fundamental reform, restore proper limits on presidential authority, and ensure FIFA is governed as an institution rather than around a single individual.
"That announcement by Infantino was the public unveiling of a plan that he and a small circle of co-conspirators had conceived and reportedly been developing in secret for more than a year."
UEFA
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
This escalation highlights deep governance tensions within global football administration. When executive leadership attempts to monetize premier assets without broad stakeholder consensus, regulatory and legal pushback follows. By utilizing US court mechanisms to secure records before launching criminal complaints in Switzerland—where FIFA is headquartered—UEFA is leveraging a multi-jurisdictional strategy to enforce accountability.
UEFA further claimed that the valuation of the stakes was never independently verified and would have been offered far too cheaply, describing the proposed transaction as a fraudulently off-market price promoted by Infantino for his personal benefit.
As part of its legal strategy, UEFA has applied to a court in Florida to gain access to files held by two FIFA entities, Fifa Americas and FWC2026, intended for use in future criminal charges in Switzerland. UEFA contends that its 55 member nations could have been directly harmed by the sell-off scheme.
Separate legal filings have also been lodged in New York, targeting Thrive Capital and founder Josh Kushner alongside investment bank JP Morgan, as well as in Colorado regarding former Formula 1 chief Greg Maffei and his firm Bann Ventures over their roles as commercial advisers.
Source: BBC Sport
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