UEFA has requested documents from FIFA in a US court as part of its planned case in Switzerland against Infantino
UEFA has requested a U.S. federal court to grant permission to acquire testimony and documents from FIFA entities located in Florida. The request is intended for a forthcoming criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as stated in a court filing.
In an ex parte application filed under U.S. law, European soccer’s governing body stated that it is considering criminal proceedings against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials and advisers regarding a now-abandoned plan to transfer commercial rights associated with the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup into a new subsidiary named FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
UEFA claims that Infantino crafted the proposal in secrecy with a select group of advisers and investors, circumventing FIFA’s standard governance procedures and neglecting to consult FIFA’s Council, regional confederations, or member associations.
The filing reviewed by Reuters requests a U.S. court to permit discovery from FIFA (AMERICAS), Inc. and FWC2026 US, Inc., both of which are based in Florida. UEFA stated that the organizations might have documents and witnesses pertinent to the conception, structure, valuation, and approval of the FFE transaction.
Reuters has approached FIFA for a statement. Infantino previously referred to FFE as a “golden opportunity” to enhance funding for football development, noting that it was merely a proposal that would need majority backing from FIFA’s 211 member associations and approval from the FIFA Council.
UEFA announced that it and other concerned parties were preparing claims in Switzerland against Infantino for purported criminal mismanagement under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code.
The filing claims that Infantino, along with a select group of advisers and investors, crafted the plan for over a year without engaging FIFA’s Council, regional confederations, or the 211 member associations prior to its announcement on July 28.
UEFA stated that FIFA statutes grant the Council exclusive authority to determine the promotion of FIFA’s commercial rights.
Infantino appointed Thrive Eternal, an investment entity managed by Joshua Kushner and linked to Thrive Capital, to spearhead an investor consortium, as stated in the filing.
UEFA claims that the investors were ready to gain a lasting financial stake in FIFA’s commercial division.
FIFA has abandoned its boycott plan.
UEFA has, however, temporarily halted its plans to boycott FIFA competitions following the receipt of written assurances that the FFE project has been “irrevocably and permanently withdrawn.”
UEFA announced on Thursday that, having obtained the two assurances it needed from FIFA on 30 July and after consulting with its national associations, it has agreed to provisionally suspend the withdrawal of European teams from FIFA competitions for the upcoming season.
The decision ensures that all qualified teams will take part in next month’s Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, marking the first major tournament that could have been impacted by the standoff.
However, the body stated that its members had unanimously mandated the confederation to pursue “every available institutional, political, and legal avenue” to secure reforms and restore limits on presidential authority.
The confederation also called for “a genuinely independent external review” of the failed FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, stating, “FIFA cannot investigate itself and expect the football community simply to accept its conclusions.
UEFA also raised concerns about the reasoning behind the proposal, highlighting FIFA’s robust financial position. “FIFA currently has billions of dollars in reserves. “This money belongs to the Member Associations,” stated UEFA. This raises the question of why the FIFA president felt it was necessary to seek external investors for the purpose of enhancing development funding.
UEFA claims that FIFA’s commercial rights are being undervalued.
UEFA stated in its legal filing that investors would have invested $4.2 billion for a stake in FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would value the business at approximately $20 billion.
UEFA stated that the valuation greatly underestimated FIFA’s commercial rights and claimed it was not conducted through an open auction or evaluated by an independent assessor.
The filing indicated that the proposal swiftly encountered opposition throughout global football.
UEFA announced that all 55 member associations reached a unanimous decision during an emergency meeting on July 30, stating they would refrain from participating in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, unless the proposed plan was retracted.
FIFA decided to withdraw the proposal on July 31. In announcing the withdrawal, Infantino stated that the proposal was meant to foster football development globally, but it had instead led to divisions that no longer served that purpose.
UEFA, however, indicated that there were still uncertainties regarding the manner in which it had been conceived and progressed.
FIFA staff expressed internal complaints, stating they felt “deceived,” and it was reported that FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom was excluded from the proposal drafting process.
Support from Saudi Arabia for Infantino
Infantino, who has declared his intention to pursue a fourth term in March 2027, continues to enjoy support from the African and South American confederations, and on Thursday, he also garnered backing from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF). “At this time, SAFF supports the continued efforts of FIFA President Gianni Infantino and FIFA’s leadership to restore unity across the football family and continue growing the game for the benefit of all,” the federation stated on its website.
UEFA has cautioned that if Infantino pursues another term, it will collaborate with partner confederations to provide member associations with a “credible alternative” dedicated to reform.
