In the corridors of world football's governance, a dispute over money and power has crossed into the domain of criminal law. UEFA, the body that oversees European football, has moved to file a criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino, alleging that he secretly advanced a plan to sell stakes in World Cup commercial rights without the knowledge or approval of FIFA's own governing structures. The complaint, rooted in Swiss law's prohibition on criminal mismanagement, reflects a deeper tension between the ambitions of football's most powerful individual and the ins
UEFA files criminal complaint against FIFA chief Infantino over failed World Cup stake sale
developed the plan in secret, bypassing FIFA's normal governance structures
Mark
So UEFA is filing a criminal complaint—that's a serious escalation. What exactly is Infantino accused of doing?
Mimi
He developed a plan to sell stakes in FIFA's World Cup rights to outside investors, but he did it in secret with a small group of advisers. He never brought it to FIFA's Council or followed the normal approval process. That's the core allegation—not just a bad idea, but a governance violation.
Luke
Right, but we should be clear: the complaint hasn't been filed yet. UEFA is asking a US court for permission to get documents first. And the allegation of "criminal mismanagement" is what UEFA's lawyers believe the facts support—it's not a finding by any court or Swiss authority.
Mark
What was the FFE plan actually supposed to do?
Mimi
It would have brought in outside investors to buy a stake in FIFA's commercial rights to the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup. Essentially monetizing FIFA's control over those tournaments by letting investors own a piece of the revenue stream.
Luke
And UEFA says the valuation was too low—that FIFA didn't get a fair price. But we don't have independent confirmation of what a fair price would have been. That's part of what UEFA wants the documents to show.
Mark
Why did the plan fail?
Mimi
Pressure from UEFA and other continental federations. Even at the meeting in New York where FIFA directors were briefed, two of the five refused to endorse it. One was the chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, who's since left FIFA.
Luke
Though we should note: we don't know why Lamour left or whether it was directly connected to the FFE dispute. The reporting says he refused to endorse the plan, but the causation isn't spelled out.
Mark
So what happens next?
Mimi
If UEFA gets the documents from the US court, they'll file the criminal complaint in Switzerland. That would trigger an actual investigation by Swiss authorities.
Luke
And that's a big if. The US court has to grant permission. And even if it does, and even if UEFA files the complaint, it doesn't mean Swiss prosecutors will pursue it. That's a separate decision.
Le Pouls
- UEFA has filed a 56-page submission in a US federal court declaring its intent to pursue criminal mismanagement charges against Infantino under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code, marking a dramatic legal escalation.
- The core allegation is that Infantino developed the FIFA Forward Enterprise — a scheme to sell investor stakes in World Cup broadcasting and commercial rights — in secret, bypassing FIFA's Council and its established governance rules entirely.
- A pivotal New York hotel meeting held on the eve of the World Cup final, where senior FIFA directors were briefed on the plan and two of five refused to endorse it, has become a focal point of UEFA's document requests.
- UEFA argues FIFA's commercial rights were significantly undervalued and never subjected to independent appraisal or open auction, adding a financial dimension to the governance breach.
- Though the FFE plan has been abandoned and UEFA reportedly stepped back from a tournament boycott threat just a day earlier, the criminal complaint signals not de-escalation but a sharper, more targeted form of institutional warfare.
- FIFA has not responded, and the outcome now hinges on whether a US court grants UEFA access to internal documents — materials that could determine whether a formal Swiss criminal proceeding moves forward.
In the corridors of world football's governance, a dispute over money and power has crossed into the domain of criminal law. UEFA, the body that oversees European football, has moved to file a criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino, alleging that he secretly advanced a plan to sell stakes in World Cup commercial rights without the knowledge or approval of FIFA's own governing structures. The complaint, rooted in Swiss law's prohibition on criminal mismanagement, reflects a deeper tension between the ambitions of football's most powerful individual and the institutional checks meant to constrain them — a tension that the collapse of the plan itself has done little to resolve.
UEFA has taken the extraordinary step of preparing a criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino, alleging serious mismanagement in his handling of a failed plan to commercialize World Cup rights. The plan, known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise, was designed to attract outside investors into FIFA's control over the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup. It collapsed under pressure from UEFA and other continental federations — but the legal consequences are only now taking shape.
In a 56-page filing submitted to a US federal court, UEFA's lawyers stated they are contemplating Swiss criminal proceedings against Infantino and potentially other FIFA officials under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code, which governs criminal mismanagement. The central allegation is that Infantino conceived and advanced the FFE proposal in secret, working with a narrow circle of advisers while bypassing FIFA's Council and its formal governance processes entirely — a breach, UEFA argues, of FIFA's own rules.
To build its case, UEFA is seeking internal FIFA documents, including materials from a New York hotel meeting held the night before last month's World Cup final, where senior directors were briefed on the plan. Two of the five directors present declined to endorse it, among them Kevin Lamour, FIFA's chief operating officer, who has since left the organization. UEFA is requesting all materials presented to FIFA's governing bodies regarding the FFE's approval process.
The European body also challenges the financial logic of the plan, contending that FIFA's commercial rights were undervalued and never independently appraised or put to open auction. If the US court grants access to the documents, UEFA intends to submit them as evidence in a formal Swiss criminal complaint — a jurisdiction that applies to both organizations, which are both headquartered there.
The timing is striking: just one day before the complaint became public, UEFA had reportedly agreed to drop its threat of boycotting FIFA tournaments, a move that looked like conciliation. The criminal filing tells a different story — one of institutional conflict that has outlasted the plan that sparked it, and that now threatens to reach into the personal legal exposure of football's most powerful official.
UEFA has moved to file a criminal complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Switzerland, alleging mismanagement in his handling of a failed plan to sell stakes in World Cup broadcasting and commercial rights. The complaint centers on what Infantino called the FIFA Forward Enterprise, or FFE—a subsidiary designed to monetize FIFA's control over men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup by bringing in outside investors. The plan collapsed under pressure from European football's governing body and other continental federations, but the legal fight has only intensified.
In a 56-page filing to a US federal court, UEFA's lawyers stated they are "contemplating a Swiss criminal proceeding against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials for criminal mismanagement under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code." The complaint alleges that Infantino developed the FFE proposal in secret, working only with a small circle of advisers and investors while sidestepping FIFA's established governance structures. Critically, UEFA says the plan was never presented to or approved by FIFA's Council before being advanced—a fundamental breach of the organization's own rules.
UEFA is now seeking access to internal FIFA documents and communications to build its case. The association wants materials related to a meeting held in a New York hotel on the eve of last month's World Cup final, where senior FIFA directors were briefed on the FFE plan. According to reporting by the New York Times, two of the five directors present refused to endorse it. One was Kevin Lamour, FIFA's chief operating officer, who has since departed the organization. UEFA's filing specifically requests "all materials presented to the FIFA Council, FIFA Congress, FIFA Bureau, or FIFA Management Board" concerning the FFE proposal's governance and internal approval process.
The European body also contests the financial valuation underlying the plan, arguing that FIFA's commercial rights were significantly undervalued and that the proposal was never subjected to an open auction or independent appraisal. If UEFA successfully obtains the documents through the US court, it intends to submit them as evidence in a formal criminal complaint to be filed in Switzerland, where both FIFA and UEFA maintain their headquarters. UEFA's Swiss legal counsel has confirmed that such a proceeding is "within reasonable contemplation for purposes of Swiss law," and the filing asserts that "Infantino's actions described herein rise to the level of criminal mismanagement."
The move comes just one day after UEFA reportedly agreed to drop its threat of boycotting FIFA tournaments—a significant concession that appeared to signal a de-escalation. Instead, the criminal complaint represents a sharp escalation of pressure on Infantino's position. The FIFA president has not yet responded to UEFA's legal action. The FFE plan itself has been abandoned entirely, following sustained pressure not only from UEFA but also from other continental confederations including the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, which represents North and Central American football. Yet even with the proposal dead, the institutional conflict remains very much alive, with UEFA now pursuing what amounts to a formal criminal investigation into how the plan was conceived and advanced.
Citations marquantes
UEFA and its counsel are contemplating a Swiss criminal proceeding against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials for criminal mismanagement— UEFA's lawyers in a 56-page court filing
Infantino's actions described herein rise to the level of criminal mismanagement— UEFA's filing to the US federal court
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