European football’s governing body UEFA is preparing to make a criminal complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino for alleged criminal mismanagement
under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code. The legal preparations stem from Infantino’s aborted plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and other tournaments to private investors.
UEFA Files US Legal Actions Targeting FIFA President Gianni Infantino
UEFA filed applications in the United States seeking information and document discovery from FIFA, Infantino, and Thrive Capital, the lead investment firm behind the failed scheme. The New York-based venture capital firm is led by chief executive Joshua Kushner. UEFA used a “section 1782” order to request evidence for use in upcoming proceedings in Switzerland, where FIFA maintains its headquarters.
Legal filings submitted in US courts detail requests across multiple jurisdictions. UEFA filed for discovery in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York to subpoena Kushner and Thrive Capital, while also filing a request in southern Florida to access files held by two FIFA businesses, FIFA Americas and FWC2026, which are based in Florida.
The Controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise Plan and Valuation
The dispute centers on the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme, which Infantino publicly announced on July 28, 2026. According to court filings, the plan was pushed through an internal approval process at a hastily convened meeting where a limited number of management officials and employees were given hours to sign off on the multi-billion-dollar proposal without consulting the FIFA Council, UEFA, other confederations, or member associations.
Under the scrapped proposal, Thrive Capital and founder Joshua Kushner were set to pay $4.2 billion for a 20% stake in a new subsidiary designed to run FIFA’s commercial events, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. Court documents state that this transaction implied an enterprise value of approximately $20 billion. UEFA’s legal filings argue that this valuation was neither the product of an open, competitive auction, nor tested by any independent valuer
and represented a fraudulently off-market price promoted by Infantino.
UEFA’s 56-page filing describes the venture as a vehicle for Infantino and that small circle to acquire a permanent stake in and otherwise profit from FIFA’s most valuable assets to the detriment of FIFA, its members, and other parties within the football family.
Boycott Threats Lifted Following Scheme Withdrawal
Infantino withdrew the sell-off plan on August 1 following a furious backlash and intense public scrutiny from global soccer leaders. Before the plan was scrapped, UEFA had threatened to boycott all FIFA-run competitions unless assurances were provided that the commercial rights sell-off would not be revisited.
With UEFA receiving guarantees that the plan will not be revived, the European governing body is set to call off its planned boycott ahead of the 2026-27 Champions League draw meetings in Monaco. Lifting the boycott ensures that European teams will participate without issue in the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup, which begins on September 5 in Poland.
Meanwhile, political and institutional fallout for Infantino continues to grow.
