Uefa escalates Infantino row with legal complaint plan

Uefa has stepped up its confrontation with Fifa president Gianni Infantino by preparing a legal complaint in Switzerland over his role in the failed Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal. The move marks a significant escalation in a dispute that has already become one of the most politically charged battles in football governance.

Legal route replaces boycott threat

Any suggestion that Uefa had softened its position after withdrawing a proposed boycott of Fifa competitions has been quickly dispelled. While European teams will now take part in next month’s Under-20 Women’s World Cup and in October’s senior Women’s World Cup qualifiers, Uefa has increased the pressure elsewhere by turning to the courts.

The governing body announced that it was preparing to allege “criminal mismanagement” against Infantino in Switzerland. The issue centres on the abandoned Fifa Forward Enterprise plan, which would have involved the sale of a share of future Fifa revenues.

The timing was striking, with the development overshadowing a major day in the European football calendar as federation and club executives gathered in Monte Carlo for the Champions League draw.

Why Uefa is challenging the valuation

At the heart of Uefa’s case is its belief that the proposed valuation of Fifa Forward Enterprise was far too low. In documents sent to courts in the United States, Uefa described the enterprise value as only about $20bn, arguing that figure did not reflect the true worth of Fifa’s commercial future.

According to the source material, the proposal would have allowed Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital to acquire 21% of future Fifa revenues in perpetuity for $4.2bn. Uefa’s concern has been that football’s most valuable assets, particularly those linked to the World Cup, may have been offered too cheaply.

Those doubts were sharpened by the absence of information in Fifa’s sales materials about how the valuation had been reached, as well as the lack of evidence of a competitive tender process. Uefa had already commissioned an independent valuation after concerns emerged over the structure of the deal.

Document battle in the United States

The first stage of Uefa’s legal strategy is focused on securing disclosure of documents in the United States. Court filings have been made in New York, Florida and Colorado as Uefa seeks access to papers that could later be used in Swiss proceedings.

That approach follows what Uefa sees as repeated frustration in trying to obtain documents directly from Fifa. Rather than relying on political pressure alone, it is now pursuing a formal legal path in an attempt to build a case.

Uefa’s position has also been reinforced by wider market concerns over the valuation. The source material notes that Fifa’s revenue for the four-year cycle ending with this summer’s World Cup was $15bn, a figure that led analysts to question whether a $20bn valuation properly captured the long-term value of the business.

A deeper struggle over football power

The dispute is not only about numbers. It has become part of a broader power struggle over Infantino’s leadership and the future direction of Fifa. Uefa believes the failed proposal raised serious governance questions, and its latest move shows it is no longer content to keep that argument behind closed doors.

Infantino, however, is not portrayed as a figure preparing to step aside. The source material says he has remained active politically, including by attending a Caribbean Football Union meeting in the Dominican Republic, where he approved several funding projects.

That determination to remain in control means Uefa still faces a difficult task if its ultimate aim is to unseat him. But by moving towards a criminal complaint and seeking evidence through US courts, European football’s governing body has made clear that this fight has entered a far more serious phase.