UEFA Demands FIFA Documents in U.S. Court, Seeks Criminal Charges Against Infantino

European football's governing body, UEFA, is escalating its conflict with FIFA President Gianni Infantino by seeking legal intervention in the United States. UEFA has requested a Florida court to compel two U.S. companies, FIFA Americas and FWC2026, to release documents related to the organization and financial dealings of the upcoming World Cup.

The core of UEFA's action is its intention to file a criminal complaint against Infantino with Swiss prosecutors, accusing him of "criminal mismanagement." UEFA believes that documents held by these U.S. entities will provide evidence of alleged criminal misconduct by Infantino and potentially other FIFA officials. This legal maneuver is part of a broader dispute over FIFA's governance and a controversial plan to sell commercial rights to a private investment fund.

UEFA alleges that this plan, known as the FFE project, was developed secretly by Infantino over the past year, bypassing FIFA's executive council. The project reportedly involved selling a 20% stake in the World Cup's commercial rights to Thrive, a fund associated with Jared Kushner Jr., at a significantly undervalued price of $4.2 billion. UEFA contends that this was a vehicle for Infantino to profit from FIFA's most valuable assets.

While UEFA has suspended its boycott of FIFA tournaments following the withdrawal of the FFE plan, it insists that the alleged "deception, intimidation, and abuse of power" necessitates a thorough governance overhaul. The European body argues that FIFA's leadership should not be concentrated in the hands of a single individual. The request filed with the U.S. court, a 55-page document, details UEFA's claims, including the alleged clandestine nature of Infantino's dealings with figures like Joshua Kushner and Greg Maffei.