The European body is considering initiating legal action over the failed project to incorporate private investors into the World Cup business. Additionally, it demanded the preservation of all documentation related to the plan
The current situation oftension between UEFA and FIFA does not seem to have an end. After Gianni Infantino withdrew his project to incorporate private capital into a new commercial entity that would manage the main assets of the organization, the European confederation formally notified that it is considering taking legal action and deepened the institutional confrontation.
In a letter sent to FIFA, UEFA communicated that it is "actively considering legal action, arbitration and/or regulatory complaints" regarding the so-called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), the company that the highest football body intended to create to manage the commercial operations and tournaments that generate revenue.
Gianni Infantino is going through his worst political crisis as president of FIFA
The document, dated July 31, also demands that FIFA preserve all documentation related to the project, both in physical and digital format. Furthermore, it warns that the deletion, modification, or concealment of relevant information could be interpreted as destruction of evidence in the event that legal proceedings are initiated.
Among the documents whose preservation UEFA claims are those related to the design of the plan, internal communications, the mechanism for distributing funds to national associations, and exchanges held between FIFA Council members and other executives of the organization.
Infantino's plan and its negative reactions
The initiative promoted by Infantino contemplated selling 20% of FIFA Forward Enterprise to private investors in exchange for an initial injection of approximately 4.2 billion dollars. The new entity, valued by FIFA at around 20 billion dollars, was to be responsible for managing the commercial rights of competitions such as the World Cup.
However, the project faced strong resistance within international football. TheUEFA led the opposition and gathered its 55 member federations, which agreed not to participate in competitions organized by FIFA while the proposal remained in effect. The stance was also supported by other confederations, including AFC and CONCACAF, a scenario that ultimately forced Infantino to backtrack just three days after officially announcing the plan.
Three confederations (UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF) completely rejected the project
Upon announcing the withdrawal of the initiative, the FIFA president acknowledged that the proposal had generated an internal fracture. "It has created divisions of such a nature that, regardless of the level of support, they no longer benefit the originally stated objective," he stated.
The negative repercussions for Infantino and his uncertain future
The institutional crisis also began to shift to the political arena. In recent days, UEFA hinted that it would seek to promote a change in leadership at FIFA, considering that Infantino has lost the support of a good part of international football. This scenario began to reflect with the withdrawal of support from some national federations, when just a few weeks ago the leader claimed to have the backing of nearly 200 of the 211 member associations.
The next FIFA presidential elections will be held on March 18, 2027 in Rabat, Morocco. It will be the first time since 2016 that the position could be decided through a competitive vote, as in 2019 and 2023 Infantino was the only candidate and automatically renewed his mandate. With the conflict open between FIFA and UEFA, the political landscape heading into those elections appears more uncertain than ever.
