UEFA prepares Swiss complaint against FIFA's Infantino

UEFA is preparing a criminal complaint in Swiss courts against FIFA President Gianni Infantino over his failed plan to sell a stake in future World Cup commercial rights to private investors. European soccer's governing body alleges possible financial mismanagement and is seeking U.S. court discovery to gather evidence.

The dispute centers on Infantino's abandoned pitch to bring private capital into FIFA's most valuable assets—an investor story with big-money stakes that also lands squarely in the world of valuations, minority buy-ins, and who gets to share tournament cash flows. For readers tracking wealth hacks and passive income themes, the fight is a rare public window into how sports rights can be packaged like an enterprise sale.

Key Takeaways

• UEFA is contemplating a Swiss criminal case against Infantino—and possibly other FIFA officials—for alleged criminal mismanagement under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code.
• The failed deal would have sold a 20% stake in a FIFA commercial subsidiary for $4.2 billion to investors anchored by Thrive Capital Management, founded by Joshua Kushner.
• UEFA has asked U.S. courts in Manhattan and southern Florida for discovery tied to that foreign proceeding, including materials involving Thrive and FIFA's Miami-area offices.
• Infantino dropped the sell-off on Aug. 1 after a global backlash; UEFA later sought—and, according to people familiar with talks, received—assurances it would not return in another form.
• Court filings seen by AP argue the implied ~$20 billion enterprise value looked “absurdly low” and was not set by an open auction or independent valuation.

What Exactly Did UEFA File, and Why Does It Matter?

According to AP News reporting from Monaco, UEFA said Thursday it filed papers in a Manhattan court seeking discovery from Thrive Capital Management. It also sought authorization in a southern Florida district for discovery “in a foreign proceeding” against FIFA, which has offices in Coral Gables.

In a 56-page document seen by AP, UEFA's lawyers say the European body and its counsel “are contemplating a Swiss criminal proceeding against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials for criminal mismanagement under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code.” That is the core legal threat behind the U.S. evidence hunt.

Yahoo Sports, citing European newspaper coverage including The Guardian, similarly described UEFA as preparing a criminal case over the failed “FIFA Forward Enterprise” plan and using Section 1782 tools in U.S. courts to press for withheld documents. UEFA lawyers have also sent preservation notices demanding FIFA identify and keep relevant records, naming 14 executives in that demand, Yahoo reported.

How Was the World Cup Investor Plan Structured?

Thrive and Kushner were positioned as anchor investors intending to pay FIFA $4.2 billion for a 20% stake in a subsidiary that would run the soccer body's commercial events, including the World Cup. That price implied an enterprise value of roughly $20 billion for the commercial arm.

UEFA's court papers, as described by AP, argue that figure could be a “fraudulently off-market price promoted by Infantino for his own benefit.” Lawyers told courts the investors would have gained a permanent financial interest in FIFA's commercial arm without an open, competitive auction or an independent valuer testing the number.

“In truth, it was a vehicle for Infantino and that small circle to acquire a permanent stake in and otherwise profit from FIFA's most valuable assets to the detriment of FIFA, its members, and other parties within the football family,” UEFA's lawyers stated, according to AP. Infantino had framed the plan as unleashing FIFA's commercial potential—language UEFA's filings dispute.

Separate AP reporting on the boycott track noted the spinoff was revealed by The Times and that the investor package included offers of $20 million to each of FIFA's 211 member federations, with a mid-September acceptance deadline before the proposal collapsed within days.

Is UEFA Still Threatening a FIFA Events Boycott?

Not if Monaco talks go as expected. AP reported UEFA is set to formally withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA competitions after receiving assurances Infantino's failed World Cup sell-off will not be revived. Member federations were meeting Thursday in Monaco ahead of the Champions League draw.

Ending the boycott threat would clear six European teams to keep preparing for the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup starting Sept. 5 in Poland. FIFA welcomed the update and said it looks forward to welcoming all teams and players to Poland.

The political temperature remains high. UEFA said on Aug. 1 it had no confidence in Infantino's leadership—a signal it may oppose his path to reelection in March next year. FIFA has a Nov. 18 deadline for presidential candidates ahead of a vote by 211 federations in Rabat, Morocco. Infantino had appeared headed for an unopposed fourth and final term through 2031 until the investor plan turmoil.

What Happens Next in the Money-and-Courts Fight?

The Swiss complaint track and the U.S. discovery requests are about building a record around valuation, process, and who stood to gain. UEFA first warned FIFA on Aug. 3 against destroying or hiding “relevant materials” related to the plan. Spokespeople for FIFA and Thrive have been approached for comment in AP's criminal-complaint story; Yahoo noted FIFA had not commented as of that report's publication.

For now, the investor sale is off the table, the boycott threat looks set to ease, and UEFA's legal posture keeps pressure on Infantino over how FIFA almost monetized World Cup commercial rights. Any Swiss filing would turn a boardroom valuation clash into a criminal-court fight over alleged mismanagement of one of sport's richest cash engines.