Uefa is moving forward with plans to initiate criminal legal proceedings against Fifa president Gianni Infantino, following a controversial and ultimately abandoned proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup and other major football competitions to private investors.
Documents obtained by investigators reveal that European football’s governing body has filed an application to secure access to evidence and documentation for use in Swiss legal proceedings. In these filings, Uefa accuses the Fifa president of “criminal mismanagement” regarding the development of the scheme.
The proposal, which surfaced shortly after this summer’s World Cup, involved the creation of a new entity called Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE). This company was intended to sell off commercial stakes in Fifa’s most prestigious tournaments to private backers. The plan was eventually scrapped following widespread backlash from across the football world.
Uefa alleges that the scheme was engineered by Infantino to enrich himself and a select group of private investors. The application characterizes the project as a vehicle designed to allow a small circle to acquire permanent stakes in Fifa’s primary assets, to the detriment of the organization, its member associations, and the broader football community.
According to the legal filing, Infantino pushed the plan through internal approval at a hastily organized meeting. During this session, a limited number of Fifa officials and employees were reportedly given only hours to sign off on a multi-billion dollar agreement, with some participants having no prior knowledge of the proposal.
Uefa further claims that the valuation of the stakes was not independently verified and were offered at a significantly reduced rate. The application describes the proposed sale as a “fraudulently off-market price” promoted by Infantino for his personal benefit. Under the terms announced, investors would have acquired a permanent financial interest in Fifa’s commercial arm for $4.2bn, implying an enterprise value of approximately $20bn—a figure Uefa argues was neither tested by independent valuers nor subjected to an open, competitive auction.
The legal action centers on an application to a court in Florida, where two Fifa-affiliated businesses—Fifa Americas and FWC2026—are based. Uefa aims to access files held by these entities to support the criminal charges it intends to file in Switzerland.
Uefa asserts that the plan was developed in secret for over a year without the knowledge of the Fifa Council, the confederations, or the 211 member associations. On July 28, 2026, Infantino publicly announced the intent to place commercial rights for the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup into the new FFE subsidiary.
In a statement issued following a meeting of key European football figures in Monaco, Uefa confirmed it has been mandated to pursue every available institutional and legal avenue to secure reform. The organization stated its goal is to restore limits on presidential authority and ensure Fifa functions as an institution rather than being governed around a single individual.
The application highlights what it describes as an “enduring history of corruption” within Fifa, arguing that the governing body typically only abandons such plans when faced with external pressure. Uefa notes that Swiss counsel has confirmed the planned proceedings are within the scope of Swiss law and that Uefa maintains standing as a complainant.
Fifa and Gianni Infantino have been approached for comment regarding these allegations. Uefa maintains that the secretive structuring and marketing of the FFE plan inflicted direct injury on Fifa’s reputation and commercial relationships, harming all 55 of Uefa’s member associations and the wider football family. The report also notes that the relationship between Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin (left) and Fifa president Gianni Infantino (right) has worsened in recent months. The report also notes that where Infantino’s status was one item on the agenda, key figures at Uefa and in European football met today in Monaco ahead of the Champions League draw. The report also notes that with accountability coming principally through external forces, including political pressure, public scrutiny, and intervention through international criminal law enforcement,” the application adds, fifa’s extraordinary power over world football has operated largely without meaningful internal constraint.
