Uefa pursuing criminal legal action against Infantino
August 27, 2026 16:42
Uefa has filed an application seeking access to evidence and documents to support criminal proceedings it intends to bring in Switzerland against Fifa and president Gianni Infantino, according to documents seen by BBC Sport. The application was made to a court in Florida, where entities used to deliver the 2026 World Cup are based, as part of efforts to collect material for use in the Swiss case.
In the filing, Uefa alleges Infantino and a small group orchestrated a secret plan to transfer commercial rights for the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup into a new vehicle called Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), a scheme Uefa says was driven to enrich Infantino and potential private investors and was presented to Fifa members without proper consultation or independent valuation.
KEY CONTEXT
- Uefa represents 55 European member associations; Fifa is the global governing body with 211 members. Uefa says its members and other stakeholders were not consulted about the FFE plan.
- The FFE proposal was publicly announced on July 28, 2026, and Uefa claims the concept had been developed in secret for more than a year.
- Uefa contends the plan would have given outside investors a permanent financial interest in Fifa’s commercial arm and that the proposed price—$4.2bn for the stakes cited—implied an enterprise value of roughly $20bn, a figure Uefa says was not established by open auction or independent valuation.
WHY IT MATTERS
- If Uefa’s allegations are upheld, the case could challenge the governance and commercial stewardship of Fifa’s most valuable competitions, with Uefa asserting direct reputational and commercial harm to Fifa and its member associations.
- The dispute raises questions about how major commercial deals over World Cup rights are structured and approved within the global game, and whether internal approval processes were bypassed.
- Uefa has also signalled it may pursue criminal claims not only against Infantino but potentially against other Fifa officials or advisers, which could broaden the legal and governance implications for the organisation.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- Whether the Florida court grants Uefa access to the files it has requested, and the scope of any material released for use in Switzerland.
- Whether Uefa formally files criminal charges in Switzerland and, if so, which individuals beyond Infantino might be named.
- Any official responses or legal steps from Fifa or Gianni Infantino addressing the application and the allegations (none are described in the documents cited).
KEY FACTS
- Documents seen by BBC Sport show Uefa applied for access to evidence and documents for use in Swiss proceedings.
- Uefa alleges Infantino and a small circle developed and promoted the FFE plan in secret and without consulting the Fifa Council, Uefa or the other confederations.
- Uefa says the public announcement of the plan came on July 28, 2026.
- The application states investors were to acquire stakes for $4.2bn, implying an enterprise value of about $20bn, which Uefa says lacked independent verification.
- Uefa represents 55 member associations; Fifa has 211 members.