{
  "id": 3764911,
  "title": "Uefa preparing criminal case against Fifa president Gianni Infantino over World Cup sell off plan",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/uefa-preparing-criminal-case-against-fifa-president-gianni-infantino",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-27T15:39:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2026/08/27/uefa-preparing-criminal-case-against-fifa-president-gianni-infantino-over-world-cup-sell-off-plan/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Uefa is preparing criminal proceedings against Fifa president Gianni Infantino over his failed attempt to sell stakes in the World Cup. The European governing body has sought documents related to Infantino's Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan, which aimed to attract private investment in the World Cup and other tournaments. Uefa claims that Infantino developed the proposal secretly with a select group of advisers and investors, bypassing Fifa's standard governance procedures and failing to consult the organization's Council, regional confederations, or member associations. The request for evidence was submitted in the United States for use in proceedings against Infantino, Fifa, and investment firm Thrive Capital in Switzerland. Uefa alleges that Infantino's plan was designed to enable him and his inner circle to obtain a permanent stake in Fifa's most valuable assets to the detriment of the organization, its members, and others within the football community. The application also states that the stakes' valuation was not independently verified and was significantly undervalued. Uefa further claims that the secretive structuring, valuation, financing, and marketing of the plan inflicted damage on Fifa's reputation, governance authority, and commercial relationships, causing harm to Fifa and its 211 member associations. The conflict between Uefa and Fifa intensified just as Uefa was reportedly preparing to drop its boycott threat of Fifa tournaments, with confirmation expected during Uefa's executive committee meeting in Monaco.",
  "summary": "Uefa is preparing to launch criminal proceedings against Fifa president Gianni Infantino over his botched attempt to sell off stakes in the World Cup. European football's governing body has applied for the release of documents related to Infantino's Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan which involved seeking private investment in the World Cup and its other tournaments. Uefa alleges Infantino…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Uefa preparing criminal case against Fifa president Gianni Infantino over World Cup sell off plan",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/uefa-preparing-criminal-case-against-fifa-president-gianni-infantino-3769581",
        "published": "2026-08-27T15:39:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "UEFA preparing criminal complaint against FIFA president Gianni Infantino",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/uefa-preparing-criminal-complaint-against-fifa-president-gianni",
        "published": "2026-08-27T16:48:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Tempo.co English",
        "title": "UEFA to Bring Criminal Complaint Against Gianni Infantino",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/uefa-to-bring-criminal-complaint-against-gianni-infantino",
        "published": "2026-08-27T17:19:38.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}