UEFA seeks FIFA documents and testimony from U.S.-based entities as European soccer’s governing body prepares a potential criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The legal push centers on the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, a proposal that would have moved valuable commercial rights tied to FIFA competitions into a new subsidiary backed by private capital.
The court applications mark a major escalation in the confrontation between UEFA and FIFA leadership. UEFA has not established criminal wrongdoing, and the allegations contained in its filings have not been adjudicated, but the organization is seeking evidence it says could support a Swiss proceeding involving Infantino and potentially other FIFA officials or advisers.
UEFA Seeks FIFA Documents Through U.S. Courts
UEFA has asked a U.S. federal court to authorize discovery from FIFA (AMERICAS), Inc. and FWC2026 US, Inc., two FIFA-linked entities based in Florida. The organization argues that those entities could possess documents and witnesses relevant to how FIFA Forward Enterprise, known as FFE, was conceived, structured, valued and approved.
The request was made under 28 U.S.C. Section 1782, a federal statute that can allow an interested party to obtain evidence in the United States for use in a foreign proceeding. UEFA is relying on that mechanism as it considers action in Switzerland, where FIFA is headquartered and where the potential allegations would be evaluated under Swiss law.
A separate application in Manhattan seeks evidence involving Thrive Capital Management and its founder, Joshua Kushner. UEFA’s lawyers are seeking discovery that could shed additional light on negotiations surrounding the proposed private investment in FIFA’s commercial operations.
UEFA’s move is therefore broader than a simple demand that FIFA voluntarily hand over records. By turning to U.S. courts, the European governing body is attempting to use judicial discovery procedures to obtain material that could eventually become evidence in a proceeding outside the United States.
FIFA Forward Enterprise Deal Draws Scrutiny
The dispute originates with FIFA Forward Enterprise, a proposed subsidiary that would have controlled or commercialized rights connected to major FIFA properties, including the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup. Under the contemplated transaction, private investors led by Thrive were expected to invest about $4.2 billion for a 20% stake in the venture, implying a valuation of roughly $20 billion.
UEFA contends that the valuation and process raise serious governance questions. Its filings allege that the proposal was developed by Infantino with a relatively small group of advisers and investors without sufficiently involving FIFA’s Council, regional confederations or national member associations.
The European organization has also challenged whether the proposed valuation was properly tested. Court documents indicate UEFA is questioning whether the $4.2 billion investment represented a fair market price for a permanent stake in some of FIFA’s most valuable commercial assets, arguing that the valuation was not established through an open competitive auction or an independent valuation process.
Those claims remain allegations by UEFA rather than judicial findings. FIFA and Infantino would have the opportunity to contest the factual and legal assertions if a Swiss criminal proceeding is ultimately initiated.
Potential Swiss Case Targets Alleged Mismanagement
UEFA’s lawyers say they are contemplating a proceeding against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials or advisers under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code, which addresses forms of criminal mismanagement. The precise scope of any eventual complaint will depend on the evidence UEFA obtains and on decisions by the appropriate Swiss authorities.
The distinction is important because UEFA has not itself convicted or criminally charged Infantino. It is gathering information for a contemplated complaint, after which Swiss prosecutors and courts would determine whether there is sufficient legal and factual basis to proceed.
UEFA’s filing alleges that the FFE project caused harm to FIFA’s governance, reputation and commercial relationships. It is investigating whether the transaction was structured in a way that disadvantaged FIFA and its member associations while potentially benefiting individuals involved in developing the proposal.
The effort follows an earlier preservation demand sent by UEFA to FIFA. That notice warned against destroying, deleting, altering or concealing materials connected to the FFE proposal and identified numerous FIFA officials whose communications and records could potentially be relevant to future litigation or regulatory proceedings.
Infantino Abandoned the Plan After Backlash
Infantino abandoned the FFE proposal on Aug. 1 after strong opposition emerged from within international soccer. UEFA and its member associations were central to the resistance, and opposition also extended beyond Europe as the proposal threatened to open a major structural divide within FIFA.
The withdrawal of the project did not end the controversy. For UEFA, the central issue has shifted from whether the transaction will happen to how it was conceived, who participated in developing it, what valuation methods were used and whether FIFA’s normal governance safeguards were bypassed.
That is why access to U.S.-based records could prove important. Documents involving FIFA’s American subsidiaries, Thrive Capital, financial institutions, advisers and other participants could potentially provide a paper trail showing how the transaction evolved and who approved or advocated its key terms.
UEFA’s decision to pursue judicial discovery also demonstrates the severity of the institutional breakdown between European soccer authorities and Infantino’s FIFA leadership. What began as a battle over the commercialization of FIFA competitions has developed into a dispute over transparency, fiduciary responsibility and the limits of presidential authority inside one of the world’s most powerful sporting organizations.
Legal Fight Raises Broader FIFA Governance Questions
The immediate legal question is whether UEFA can obtain the requested evidence and whether that evidence ultimately supports a viable complaint under Swiss criminal law. The broader question is how much discretion FIFA’s leadership should have when negotiating transactions involving assets that derive much of their value from competitions, national associations, players, clubs, broadcasters and supporters around the world.
A governing institution controlling billions of dollars in commercial rights faces an obvious accountability obligation when considering transactions capable of permanently changing ownership or revenue structures. Competitive valuations, independent review and meaningful oversight become particularly important when an organization manages assets on behalf of hundreds of member associations rather than conventional private shareholders.
At the same time, accusations contained in an adversarial legal filing should not be confused with proven misconduct. Infantino and any other officials eventually named in a Swiss complaint are entitled to challenge UEFA’s characterization of the FFE negotiations, the valuation and the decision-making process.
For now, UEFA seeks FIFA documents because it believes the unanswered questions surrounding FIFA Forward Enterprise justify examination by authorities beyond soccer’s own internal governance structures. Whether the evidence supports UEFA’s allegations could determine not only Infantino’s legal exposure but also the next stage of an increasingly consequential struggle over control, transparency and accountability at the top of world soccer.
