UEFA Moves to Launch Criminal Case Against FIFA, Infantino Over Scrapped Commercial Rights Deal

UEFA has begun legal steps that could lead to criminal proceedings against FIFA president Gianni Infantino over a controversial plan to sell private investors stakes in the governing body’s most valuable commercial assets.

The European football governing body is seeking access to documents and other evidence that it says could be used in a criminal case in Switzerland against Infantino, FIFA and potentially other officials and advisers.

The legal move centres on a proposal that would have transferred commercial rights to the men’s and women’s World Cups, as well as the Club World Cup, to a new FIFA subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise.

The proposal was publicly unveiled by Infantino on July 28, 2026. UEFA alleges that the plan had been developed privately for more than a year without consultation with FIFA’s 211 member associations, the FIFA Council, UEFA or other continental confederations.

According to documents cited by BBC Sport, UEFA believes the proposed transaction could have allowed Infantino and a small group of investors to secure long-term financial interests in FIFA’s commercial operations at the expense of the organisation and its members.

A major point of contention is the proposed $4.2 billion investment for a permanent stake in FIFA’s commercial arm.

UEFA argues that the assets were undervalued and that the proposed figure was not subjected to an independent valuation or an open competitive bidding process.

The European body claims the arrangement would have implied an enterprise value of around $20 billion for FIFA’s commercial business, which it considers far below what the assets were worth.

UEFA has also questioned the way the proposal was approved internally, alleging that some FIFA officials were given only a short period to consider and approve what it described as an unprecedented multi-billion-dollar transaction.

UEFA is now attempting to obtain relevant records through a court in Florida, where several companies involved in FIFA’s operations for the 2026 World Cup are based.

The organisation wants the documents to help build a potential criminal case in Switzerland.

UEFA alleges that the proposed transaction could have damaged FIFA financially and harmed the interests of its member associations.

The application states that UEFA and other parties are considering criminal complaints against Infantino and potentially other FIFA officials and advisers for alleged criminal mismanagement.

The European body also argues that the secrecy surrounding the proposed deal raised concerns about FIFA’s governance, commercial relationships and reputation.

The allegations have not been proven in court, and the legal process remains at an early stage.

However, the move by UEFA could significantly increase pressure on Infantino and FIFA, particularly over questions surrounding the management and commercialisation of the organisation’s most valuable properties.

The proposed sell-off has since been abandoned, but UEFA’s decision to pursue access to evidence suggests the controversy is far from over and could develop into a wider legal and governance battle within world football.