FIFA President Gianni Infantino (left) and UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin in an archive photo by FABIO FRUSTACI.EFE
Monaco, Aug 27 (EFE) – UEFA is preparing a criminal complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino for alleged mismanagement related to his project to create the subsidiary FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to commercialize its competitions with private capital, a project he later halted following strong criticism.
According to a document dated this Thursday and accessed by EFE, the European governing body is considering legal action under Article 158 of the Swiss Penal Code and has requested authorization from a US court in Florida to access documents related to the project, for transfer to the Swiss justice system.
The document requests documents and communications from FIFA America and the 2026 World Cup concerning the origin, development, internal discussions, and public announcement of the FFE proposal, including FIFA’s internal communications and discussions, as well as communications with the investing companies – Thrive, BANN, and other investors and advisors – from the earliest date the transaction was discussed until the date the documentation was submitted.
Also included is any valuation work carried out in connection with the FFE proposal, including materials shared with or received from any investor or advisor; the internal governance and approval process for the FFE proposal; and the documentation submitted to the FIFA Council, its Congress, and its Board of Directors at a meeting held on July 18.
It also authorizes UEFA to issue additional subpoenas to any other party residing or located within the Southern District of Florida who is likely to possess relevant evidence for use in the contemplated foreign proceeding.
The 60-page document states that “Infantino’s efforts to exploit FIFA institutions for his own benefit have extended beyond governance and economics, encompassing the cultivation of relationships with powerful political actors—including the President of the United States—to further his personal and institutional interests.”
It also indicates that FIFA does not need external capital, as it is “not a financially distressed company seeking a bailout” and that “audited financial statements reported billions of dollars in reserves and liquid financial assets, and no debt.”
UEFA notes that Infantino did not consult with the confederations on his idea and that after it was made public through the press, he gave the federations until September 19 to communicate their position on the matter, a deadline which it describes as “an ultimatum”.
“Not as a ‘democratic decision,’ but as governance through intimidation: an act of coercion unworthy of an institution entrusted with the guardianship of world football,” UEFA asserts.
UEFA formally notified FIFA on July 31 that it was actively considering legal action regarding FIFA’s plan to create the subsidiary FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), open to private capital to market its competitions, and demanded that FIFA retain all related documents.
The document called on Infantino and FIFA to take immediate steps to preserve all documentation related to the project, stored physically or electronically, in the organization’s possession, and requested that it suspend its destruction, warning of potential consequences.
Infantino’s idea, not agreed upon with FIFA’s confederations, was to create FFE, a subsidiary he owned to manage FIFA’s commercial rights and events, valued at approximately $20 billion, of which he could open up to 20% of its capital to private investors.
Funding for the FIFA Forward program is projected to increase from $8 million per national association in the 2023-2026 cycle to $20 million in 2027-2030, totaling more than $4 billion across the 211 associations.
A new FIFA Fast Forward (FFFP) program would also be created within FIFA Forward, allowing each association to access an additional $20 million in funding during the 2027-2030 period, on top of the $20 million per cycle it already receives.
