European football's governing body UEFA has launched criminal legal proceedings against global governing organization FIFA and its chief Gianni Infantino. The legal assault stems from a highly contentious and subsequently scrapped arrangement intended to transfer commercial stakes in the World Cup and other major tournaments to private investors. Formal court filings submitted in Switzerland confirm that European football authorities are seeking to hold football's top leadership legally accountable.
Swiss Legal Petition Demands Access to Internal FIFA Files
To substantiate its criminal case in Switzerland, UEFA has submitted a formal application requesting judicial access to crucial evidence and internal documentation. The legal filings explicitly target both FIFA as a corporate entity and Gianni Infantino individually. European administrators argue that inspecting these internal records is vital to establishing how executive decisions were taken without proper institutional authorization and governance oversight.
Unilateral Transfer of World Cup Commercial Rights
According to the submitted legal documents, the dispute centres on actions taken on July 28, 2026. On that date, Infantino publicly announced the creation of a new subsidiary entity designated as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The stated objective of this initiative was to consolidate and place the lucrative commercial rights for the men's World Cup, women's World Cup, and Club World Cup directly under the control of the new subsidiary.
Year Long Secret Planning Without Member Consultation
UEFA's legal submission alleges that the plan was developed in complete secrecy for over a year by Infantino alongside a restricted circle of associates. Crucially, neither the governing FIFA Council nor UEFA and rival continental confederations were consulted prior to the public reveal. Furthermore, none of the 211 national FIFA member associations were informed or asked for approval. The intense backlash following the public unveiling ultimately forced football executives to abandon the commercial rights plan entirely.
