
7 days · 5 summary articles
UEFA is preparing a criminal complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino over his abandoned plan to sell a 20% stake in World Cup and other tournament revenues to private investors, according to court documents filed in the U.S. and reported by multiple outlets on Aug. 27, 2026.
The European governing body submitted legal papers to a Manhattan court seeking discovery from Thrive Capital Management, a New York investment firm led by Joshua Kushner, which was slated to be a primary stakeholder in the deal. UEFA’s filing alleges the proposed $4.2 billion valuation for the 20% stake was “absurdly low” and accuses Infantino of “criminal mismanagement” under Swiss law, according to The Times and AFP .
UEFA also requested documents from FIFA’s legal department in Florida, per a 60-page filing obtained by Reuters and German press agency DPA. The complaint targets potential violations of Swiss criminal code Article 158, which covers abuse of office, and alleges the plan was secretly developed by Infantino and a small group to secure personal control over FIFA’s most valuable assets, according to Hungarian outlet HVG .
The proposed structure involved creating a FIFA-owned commercial entity, FIFA Forward Enterprise, to consolidate revenue-generating competitions—including the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup—before selling 21% to external investors. The plan sparked widespread backlash, prompting Infantino to withdraw it and issue an apology, as reported by HVG and Die Welt .
UEFA has since dropped its threat to boycott FIFA events after receiving guarantees the plan would not be revived, but it continues to pursue legal action. The Italian Football Federation withdrew its support for Infantino on Aug. 27, citing his recent initiatives on international competitions, Al Jazeera reported .
Infantino, who succeeded Sepp Blatter in 2016, has resisted calls to resign. UEFA’s legal push mirrors the 2015 U.S. investigations that contributed to Blatter’s downfall, though Blatter was never convicted, according to Die Welt .
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