European football’s governing body UEFA is preparing to file a criminal complaint in Swiss courts against FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The legal action stems from his highly controversial and recently abandoned plan to sell a significant stake in future World Cup profits to private investors.
According to new court documents filed in the United States, UEFA is seeking potential evidence from FIFA’s U.S. offices and Thrive Capital Management. Under the defunct “FIFA Forward Enterprise” proposal is the New York-based investment fund founded by Josh Kushner was slated to pay $4.2 billion for a 20% stake in a subsidiary controlling FIFA’s major commercial events.
UEFA’s lawyers accuse Infantino of "criminal mismanagement" under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code. They allege the deal was a secretive vehicle designed to allow a small circle to profit from football's most valuable assets. Furthermore, UEFA argues the $4.2 billion price tag was "fraudulently off-market" implying a severe undervaluation of FIFA’s commercial arm at roughly $20 billion, achieved without an open auction or independent valuation.
The European body also questioned the fundamental logic of the sell-off. With the 2026 World Cup in North America expected to boost FIFA’s revenue to a record $15 billion and leave $5 billion in cash reserves the UEFA argued there was no justifiable need for outside funding.
Following intense backlash from global football leaders, Infantino permanently withdrew the proposal on August 1. In response UEFA provisionally suspended its threat to boycott upcoming FIFA competitions.
However the governance crisis remains unresolved. UEFA has demanded a genuinely independent external review of the failed proposal also insisting that FIFA cannot simply investigate itself.
The scandal has severely weakened Infantino’s position ahead of the March 2027 FIFA leadership elections. Several national and continental associations have already withdrawn their support for him. UEFA confirmed that if Infantino seeks re-election and it will join forces with other confederations to back a credible alternative candidate committed to integrity, accountability and institutional reform.
