UEFA Prepares Criminal Complaint Against FIFA President Gianni Infantino

European football’s governing body, UEFA, is preparing to bring a criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino, escalating an increasingly bitter dispute between the two most powerful bodies in world football.

According to court documents filed in the United States, UEFA is seeking testimony and documents from FIFA-related entities in Florida as it gathers evidence for possible criminal proceedings against Infantino and potentially other FIFA officials and advisers.

The planned complaint centres on FIFA’s now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which sought to transfer commercial rights connected to the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup into a new subsidiary and sell a stake to private investors.

UEFA alleges that the proposal was developed secretly by Infantino and a small group of advisers and investors, without proper consultation with the FIFA Council, regional confederations or FIFA’s 211 member associations. It says the process may amount to “criminal mismanagement” under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code.

At the centre of the controversy is a proposed deal under which private investors would have acquired a 20% stake in future FIFA World Cup-related commercial revenues for about $4.2 billion.

UEFA has described the proposed valuation as far below what it believes FIFA’s commercial assets were worth. The European body has also questioned whether the proposal was subjected to adequate competitive bidding or independent valuation.

The investment group was expected to involve Thrive Capital, founded by US investor Joshua Kushner.

UEFA’s US court filings seek access to documents and witnesses that could shed light on how the proposed transaction was conceived, structured, valued and approved.

FIFA eventually abandoned the FFE proposal following intense opposition from football organisations, particularly UEFA.

UEFA had threatened to withdraw European teams from FIFA competitions over the dispute. However, after FIFA provided written assurances that the project had been permanently abandoned, UEFA suspended that boycott threat.

Despite the withdrawal, UEFA says the wider governance problems at FIFA remain unresolved and is demanding an independent external investigation rather than an internal review by FIFA itself.

The legal move represents a major escalation in UEFA’s campaign against Infantino’s leadership.

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has previously criticised the FFE proposal, while European football officials have called for greater transparency and reforms within FIFA.

The dispute could also have political consequences for Infantino ahead of FIFA’s next presidential election, with UEFA indicating that it could support an alternative candidate if the Swiss-Italian remains in the race.

Importantly, Infantino has not been convicted of any crime, and the proposed Swiss proceedings are at the stage of preparation and evidence gathering. UEFA’s allegations remain allegations that would need to be examined by the appropriate authorities.

FIFA has been contacted by news organisations for comment on the latest legal action.

The development nevertheless marks one of the most serious confrontations between UEFA and FIFA in recent years, with the dispute now moving beyond football politics and into the legal arena.