The European governing body of association football is preparing a legal challenge in Switzerland against FIFA president Gianni Infantino for “disloyal management” following an aborted plan to open the World Cup to private investors. The preliminary legal filing outlines allegations that the secretive initiative caused direct and concrete harm to the organization’s standing.
The Genesis of the Legal Challenge and Florida Filings
UEFA’s move centers on a 60-page preliminary petition filed in a Florida court, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The European body utilized the U.S. jurisdiction to secure documents regarding subsidiaries created by FIFA for the 2026 World Cup. Once those American-based entities yield detailed records of the project, UEFA intends to launch formal proceedings before Swiss courts.
Under Swiss law, “disloyal management” is an infraction carrying a potential five-year prison sentence. To secure a conviction under this statute, it must be demonstrated that an official intentionally compromised the interests of the organization. The contested initiative involved moving World Cup revenue streams into a company open to private investors.
Inside the Aborted Private Investment Vehicle
FIFA presented the restructuring scheme in late July as a means to “unlock the commercial potential” of its flagship tournament. However, the plan was abandoned in the heart of summer.
According to UEFA’s legal filing, the structure was built to allow Gianni Infantino and a select circle of associates—including Joshua Kushner, brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law—to acquire permanent stakes in FIFA’s most valuable assets. The European body argues that such an arrangement would have generated profit at the expense of FIFA, its members, and other actors in the football family.
Internal Dissent and Carlos Cordeiro’s Resignation
The European governing body’s preliminary dossier relies on internal dissent. Specifically, the filing highlights objections raised by Carlos Cordeiro, an investment banker who served as an advisor to Gianni Infantino before resigning.
Cordeiro characterized the operation as a “bad deal for football.”
Next Steps in the Swiss and American Legal Processes
With the 60-page U.S. court filing serving as a foundational evidence-gathering phase, legal teams await further corporate disclosures from FIFA’s American subsidiaries tied to the 2026 tournament. While sources close to the dossier indicate no strict timeline for the eventual filing in Switzerland, the formal lodging of the “disloyal management” complaint remains the objective for European football administrators.
FIFA has not yet issued a formal defense addressing the specifics of the planned Swiss filing, and regulatory authorities have yet to schedule formal hearings regarding the preliminary U.S. requests.
