JUST IN: UEFA opens criminal proceedings against FIFA, Infantino

UEFA has initiated criminal proceedings against FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, concerning a scrapped plan to sell commercial rights of FIFA tournaments to private investors. Swiss documents revealed that UEFA applied for access to evidence in order to pursue the matter in a Swiss court. The plan was announced by Infantino on July 28, 2026, without consulting FIFA Council, UEFA, other confederations or FIFA's 211 member associations.

The documents stated that Infantino purportedly acted on behalf of FIFA and announced the plan to place commercial rights of men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup into a new FIFA subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise. UEFA alleged that the plan was secretly developed by Infantino and a small group of associates for over a year.

The proposed investment structure has since been abandoned. UEFA's legal action could intensify scrutiny on FIFA's governance and management of commercial rights of its major tournaments. The proceedings are being pursued in Switzerland, FIFA's headquarters. UEFA seeks access to relevant documents and evidence in order to strengthen the case against FIFA and Infantino.