UEFA Launches Legal Action Against FIFA and Infantino Over Failed Investment Plan
UEFA is initiating legal proceedings in New York against FIFA, its president Gianni Infantino, and Thrive Capital, which was the lead investor in the unsuccessful $20 billion World Cup investment scheme. Reports from both The Times and Front Office Sports confirm this move is not a traditional lawsuit. Instead, UEFA is seeking to enter a discovery phase to gather information from the involved parties, with the intent of submitting a criminal complaint to Swiss authorities, where FIFA is headquartered. The aim is to prompt charges against Infantino and potentially other FIFA officials.
Infantino faces allegations of “fraudulently” offering a stake in the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) without following appropriate FIFA procedures. Thrive Capital, founded by Joshua Kushner, had planned to invest $4.2 billion for a 20% stake in a new entity responsible for managing FIFA’s commercial events, including both the men’s and women’s World Cup.
“Under the terms Infantino announced, those investors stood to acquire a permanent financial interest in FIFA’s commercial arm for $4.2bn, implying an absurdly low enterprise value of only approximately $20bn, a figure that was neither the product of an open, competitive auction, nor tested by any independent valuer,” UEFA’s complaint reads.
The complaint suggests that the $4.2 billion figure may represent a “fraudulently off-market price promoted by Infantino for his own benefit.”
“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,” the complaint continued.
“Infantino pushed the plan through internal FIFA approval only days earlier at a hastily convened meeting where a limited number of FIFA’s management officials and employees – some of whom had never heard of the plan – were given mere hours to sign off on an unprecedented multi-billion dollar scheme.”
Following the revelations, Infantino has faced widespread condemnation within the football community. Multiple confederations, including UEFA and Concacaf, have issued strong statements against the FIFA president, demanding “meaningful change” in the organization’s leadership. UEFA announced it had lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership and threatened to boycott all FIFA-run competitions unless assurances were provided that the investment plan would not be revisited. The plan was subsequently withdrawn.
UEFA Set to Call Off Its Boycott
Reports indicate that UEFA is prepared to retract its planned boycott of FIFA-run competitions after receiving confirmation that Infantino’s controversial plan will not be reinstated. The governing body for European football is set to gather its 55 member nations in Monaco on Thursday, ahead of the 2026-27 Champions League draw. Halting the boycott will also pave the way for the upcoming FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup, set to commence on September 5 in Poland.
FIFA issued a statement affirming its belief in the unifying power of football and expressing anticipation for welcoming all teams and players to Poland.
As UEFA prepares to lift its boycott, both the Italian and Romanian football federations have added their voices to the growing criticism of Infantino. The FIGC announced it would no longer support Infantino’s re-election in March, citing “recent initiatives promoted by the FIFA president concerning governance and the development of international competitions.” Additionally, Răzvan Burleanu, President of Romania’s FRF, emphasized the need for “a new leader who can produce consensus and unity, inspire trust, and bring us all together.”
UEFA is taking legal action in New York against FIFA, Gianni Infantino and Thrive Capital, the lead investor in the failed $20 billion World Cup investment plan, according to The Times and Front Office Sports.
This is not a lawsuit. UEFA, instead, is wanting to go through the discovery process to get information from the three parties in order to take that to Swiss authorities — FIFA’s headquarters are in Switzerland — as part of a criminal complaint. The end goal is to have charges brought against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials.
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Infantino is accused of “fraudulently” offering a stake in the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) without going through the proper FIFA channels.
Thrive and founder Joshua Kushner were set to pay FIFA $4.2 billion for a 20% stake in a new company that would run the organization’s commercial events, which includes the men’s and women’s World Cup.
“Under the terms Infantino announced, those investors stood to acquire a permanent financial interest in FIFA’s commercial arm for $4.2bn, implying an absurdly low enterprise value of only approximately $20bn, a figure that was neither the product of an open, competitive auction, nor tested by any independent valuer,” UEFA’s complaint reads.
That $4.2 billion figure could be a “fraudulently off-market price promoted by Infantino for his own benefit,” it adds.
“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,” the complaint continued.
“Infantino pushed the plan through internal FIFA approval only days earlier at a hastily convened meeting where a limited number of FIFA’s management officials and employees – some of whom had never heard of the plan – were given mere hours to sign off on an unprecedented multi-billion dollar scheme.”
Infantino’s received criticism from all corners of the soccer world after The Times reported the details of the plan. Various confederations, including UEFA and Concacaf, issued scathing statements against the FIFA president with a number calling for “meaningful change” atop the governing body’s hierarchy.
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UEFA, which released a statement saying it had lost confidence in Infantino’s ability to lead, threatened to boycott all FIFA-run competitions unless FIFA issued assurances that the sell off plan would not be revisited.
Days later, the plan was withdrawn.
UEFA set to call off its boycott
UEFA will reportedly withdraw its plan to boycott FIFA-run competitions after the European soccer governing body was told Infantino’s plan will not be revived.
The 55 member nations of UEFA are set to meet in Monaco on Thursday ahead of the 2026-27 Champions League draw. Calling off the planned boycot will ensure no issues for the upcoming FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup, which will begin Sept. 5 in Poland.
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FIFA released a statement saying that it “strongly believes that football has the power to unite, even in challenging circumstances, and looks forward to welcoming all teams and players to Poland.”
As UEFA gets set to call off its boycott, the Italian and Romanian football federations joined the growing list of countries to withdraw support of Infantino.
The FIGC’s statement on Wednesday said that it would no longer support Infantino’s re-election in March due to “the recent initiatives promoted by the FIFA president concerning governance and the development of international competitions.”
“FIFA needs today a new leader who can produce consensus and unity, inspire trust and who has the ability to bring us all together,” President Răzvan Burleanu of Romania’s FRF said.
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