UEFA asks US court for FIFA documents in planned Swiss case against Infantino

The European football governing body, UEFA, has petitioned a US federal court to gain access to testimony and documents from FIFA entities in Florida. This request is part of a planned criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino. UEFA claims Infantino secretly crafted a proposal to transfer FIFA's commercial rights to a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), in collaboration with a limited group of advisers and investors.

The proposal, which was abandoned, allegedly bypassed FIFA's usual governance processes by not consulting the FIFA Council, regional confederations, or member associations. UEFA alleges Infantino and his associates developed the plan over a year, revealing it only on July 28. According to UEFA, FIFA's statutes grant the Council exclusive authority to decide on how to promote FIFA's commercial rights.

The filing alleges that a Florida-based entity, Thrive Eternal, led by Joshua Kushner and affiliated with Thrive Capital, was set to gain a permanent financial stake in FIFA's commercial arm. UEFA further asserts that the investors would have paid $4.2 billion for a stake in FFE, valuing the business at around $20 billion, which significantly undervalued FIFA's commercial rights.

The proposal faced widespread opposition from FIFA's 55 member associations, who unanimously decided not to participate in FIFA competitions unless the plan was withdrawn. The Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF later agreed. Notably, UEFA's senior adviser to global strategy and governance, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned on July 31, describing the proposal as a 'bad deal' for FIFA's member associations, football, and the game's long-term future.

FIFA eventually abandoned the proposal on August 1, but UEFA asserts that questions persist regarding the proposal's conception and advancement, alleging that FIFA staff were deceived and Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom was excluded from drafting it.