Uefa goes after Infantino! Criminal proceedings pursued over scrapped $4.2bn Fifa plan

European football's governing body has initiated criminal legal proceedings in Switzerland against FIFA and its president, Infantino, following a controversial and now-abandoned proposal to sell commercial stakes in major tournaments to private backers. Documents obtained by BBC Sport reveal that UEFA is seeking immediate access to crucial Swiss evidence to press charges against the embattled FIFA chief and the organization itself.

The dispute stems from a secret strategy to transfer commercial rights for the men's and women's World Cups, alongside the Club World Cup, into a new entity known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). According to UEFA's legal filings, Infantino engineered this structure to line his own pockets and benefit a select group of private financiers at the expense of global football's broader community.

UEFA's court submissions allege that the proposed venture served as a private vehicle designed to yield permanent financial returns for Infantino's inner circle. The filing asserts that the FIFA president bypassed standard governance procedures, forcing the multi-billion-dollar scheme through an emergency meeting where key executives were given just hours to authorize a plan they had never previously encountered.

Furthermore, the European body maintains that the financial terms of the deal severely undervalued FIFA's prime assets. The private syndicate was set to purchase a permanent stake in FIFA's commercial wing for $4.2bn, effectively valuing the entire enterprise at a fraction of its true market worth without any independent appraisal or competitive bidding process.

To bolster its upcoming criminal case in Switzerland, UEFA has filed an application in a Florida court requesting access to files held by FIFA-operated businesses established to deliver the 2026 World Cup. The European governing body seeks these documents to gather crucial evidence for its legal proceedings against Infantino and FIFA.

Legal representatives state that the covert formulation and marketing of the FFE initiative inflicted substantial harm on FIFA's institutional integrity and commercial stability. UEFA argues that all 211 member associations - including its own 55 national federations - suffered direct financial and reputational damage due to the non-transparent attempt to privatize flagship international tournaments.

The legal documents emphasize that the proposal was developed in total secrecy over more than a year before its unexpected public announcement in July 2026. Neither the FIFA Council, continental confederations, nor member nations were consulted or informed prior to Infantino's unilateral declaration regarding the creation of FFE.