UEFA Escalates War on FIFA President Gianni Infantino With Legal Move in U.S. Court

UEFA has dramatically escalated its confrontation with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, seeking access to U.S.-held documents that could be used in potential criminal proceedings in Switzerland.

The power struggle at the top of world football has taken a stunning legal turn.

UEFA has asked a U.S. federal court for permission to obtain documents and testimony from FIFA-related entities in Florida as it prepares for possible criminal proceedings against FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Switzerland.

The move centers on FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), an abandoned investment plan proposal that would have placed commercial rights connected to the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup into a new investment vehicle.

UEFA alleges that the plan was developed secretly and pushed forward without adequate consultation with FIFA’s governing bodies and member associations.

UEFA Targets Evidence Behind Scrapped FIFA Deal

According to the court filing, UEFA is seeking evidence from two Florida-based FIFA entities, FIFA (AMERICAS), Inc. and FWC2026 US, Inc.

The European governing body says the records and potential witnesses could help establish how the proposed FFE transaction was conceived, structured, valued and approved.

UEFA is considering criminal complaints under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code, which concerns criminal mismanagement.

The allegations have not been proven in court, and Infantino has previously defended the FFE proposal as an opportunity to increase funding for football development worldwide.

FIFA has also been contacted for comment.

$20 Billion Valuation Sparks Fury

One of the biggest flashpoints is the proposed valuation.

UEFA claims investors would have paid approximately $4.2 billion for a stake in FIFA Forward Enterprise, implying an enterprise valuation of roughly $20 billion.

The organization alleges FIFA did not subject its most valuable commercial assets to an open competitive process or an independent valuation.

UEFA has characterized the proposed transaction as seriously undervalued and claims it could have harmed FIFA and its 211 member associations.

The European body is now seeking evidence in the United States that could potentially be used in proceedings in Switzerland.

FIFA Backed Down After European Revolt

The dispute exploded after the FFE unveiled its proposal in July.

UEFA’s 55 national associations reportedly agreed to oppose participation in FIFA competitions unless the plan was withdrawn, threatening a potentially unprecedented football boycott.

FIFA subsequently abandoned the proposal.

Infantino said the project was intended to increase development funding but had created divisions, so it no longer served that purpose.

UEFA, however, says withdrawing the proposal did not answer fundamental questions about how it was developed.

The organization has called for an independent external review, arguing that FIFA should not be left to investigate itself.

Infantino’s Re-Election Plans Under Pressure

The timing could hardly be more explosive.

Infantino is expected to seek a fourth term as FIFA president in March 2027, but UEFA has warned that it could work with other confederations to offer member associations an alternative candidate focused on institutional reform.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation has meanwhile publicly backed Infantino and FIFA’s leadership, while the African and South American confederations have also remained supportive.

That leaves football facing a widening political divide.

UEFA has already provisionally suspended its threat to withdraw European teams from FIFA competitions after receiving assurances that the FFE proposal had been permanently abandoned.

But the legal battle is clearly not over.

U.S. Subpoenas Could Open a New Front

UEFA is also pursuing evidence beyond the Florida FIFA entities.

Separate legal filings reportedly seek information connected to Thrive Capital and founder Josh Kushner, while another application in Colorado relates to former Formula 1 executive Greg Maffei and his firm, Bann Ventures. JPMorgan has also been named in the U.S. proceedings.

If the courts grant UEFA’s requests, the resulting documents could provide new insight into the controversial FFE proposal and its development.

For Gianni Infantino, the stakes are enormous.

What began as a battle over a proposed FIFA investment structure has now become a broader fight over presidential power, transparency, commercial rights and the future leadership of world football.

And with a potential Swiss criminal complaint looming, UEFA is making one thing unmistakably clear: the fight over Infantino is far from finished.