UEFA Threatens Legal Action Against FIFA President Infantino Over Abandoned $20bn Commercial Plan

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has formally threatened legal action against FIFA President Gianni Infantino following the collapse of a controversial proposal to commercialise FIFA's flagship tournaments through private investment.

In a legal notice sent to FIFA headquarters in Zurich, UEFA said it is actively considering legal action, arbitration, and regulatory complaints over the now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project.

The proposed initiative would have created a commercial subsidiary valued at $20 billion, with FIFA planning to sell a 20 percent stake to private investors in a bid to raise up to $4.2 billion.

According to the proposal, commercial rights to major FIFA competitions, including the men's and women's FIFA World Cups, would have been transferred to the new entity, backed by investment bank JP Morgan and private equity firm Thrive Eternal.

The plan sparked widespread opposition across the football world, with UEFA leading resistance against the proposal. The European governing body said all 55 of its member associations were prepared to boycott FIFA competitions if the plan went ahead.

UEFA accused FIFA of attempting to prioritise financial interests over the integrity of the sport, alleging that the governing body was seeking to profit from football at the expense of its long-term values.

Following mounting criticism from continental football bodies, national associations, and political figures, FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced the withdrawal of the proposal.

Despite the project's cancellation, UEFA has instructed FIFA and Infantino to preserve all documents, communications, and electronically stored records relating to the initiative, warning that they could become evidence in future legal proceedings.

In its legal notice, UEFA stated that FIFA must immediately identify, locate, and preserve all relevant records, regardless of its internal document retention or deletion policies, as part of its legal obligations.

The latest development marks a significant escalation in tensions between the two football governing bodies and adds to the growing pressure on Infantino, with UEFA reportedly expressing a loss of confidence in his leadership and calling for change at the top of world football.