UEFA Pursues Criminal Charges Against FIFA President Infantino, Drops Boycott Plans

The European football association, UEFA, is reportedly pursuing criminal charges against FIFA President Gianni Infantino. According to a US court document reviewed by NRC, UEFA has requested documents from US FIFA branches to initiate legal action against Infantino in Switzerland. The basis for this desired prosecution lies in Infantino's unilateral, and now rescinded, proposals to sell commercial rights for the World Cup to private investors.

In addition to FIFA documents, UEFA has also sought records from Thrive Capital and Thrive Eternal, investment firms linked to Joshua Kushner, brother-in-law to former US President Donald Trump. Thrive Eternal was reportedly slated to be the primary investor in the plan to sell a portion of the World Cup's commercial rights. These plans, launched shortly after the last World Cup, caused significant upheaval in the international football community, placing Infantino's position under considerable pressure, particularly in Europe.

UEFA's legal action is being taken on the same day European football nations announced they would participate in the upcoming U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland, thereby withdrawing their threatened boycott of FIFA tournaments. The boycott was initially declared in response to Infantino's sales proposals. Cracks had already appeared in the European boycott, with the French Football Federation, for instance, announcing its participation despite the boycott plans, possibly fearing a loss of international goodwill in their opposition to Infantino.

FIFA expressed satisfaction that "all qualified teams are participating" in the tournament, which begins September 5 in Poland. The organization stated its strong belief that "football has the power to unite, even in challenging circumstances." Alongside France, five other European nations, England, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and host Poland, are participating in the U-20 World Cup. UEFA had previously maintained that the boycott would stand until all demands were met, including guarantees that similar sales plans would never be considered again.