UEFA takes FIFA president Infantino to court and considers criminal complaint

UEFA has taken its dispute with FIFA President Gianni Infantino into the courts as the conflict over the failed FIFA Forward Enterprise plan escalates. The European football body has begun legal proceedings in the United States to obtain documents and evidence that could be used in a possible criminal case in Switzerland.

UEFA alleges that Infantino, together with a small group of associates and investors, worked on the project for more than a year without consulting FIFA’s competent bodies. The proposal centered on selling about 20% of a new commercial company to investors at a valuation of up to $20 billion. Thrive Eternal, led by Josh Kushner, was to head the investment group.

In a U.S. legal filing, UEFA accused Infantino of promoting what it considered an especially low valuation. It argued that the plan could have created a permanent private financial interest in FIFA’s commercial assets. UEFA is now considering filing a criminal complaint in Switzerland over alleged mismanagement.

Other parties have also come under scrutiny, including Thrive, JPMorgan and Greg Maffei’s Bann Ventures. Kushner has hired high-profile lawyer Alex Spiro to represent him in the legal dispute. Spiro has previously represented, among others, Elon Musk.

Despite the pressure, Infantino has shown no intention of stepping down. He is instead seeking to strengthen his position ahead of FIFA’s presidential election in March 2027. FIFA is expected to cover his legal costs, according to material cited in the report, as the dispute between football’s two leading governing bodies develops into an unprecedented institutional and legal confrontation.