LONDON : UEFA has threatened FIFA with legal action following the collapse of Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell a stake in future World Cup revenues to private investors, escalating the fallout from a proposal that was abandoned after widespread opposition.
According to a letter seen by the Associated Press, lawyers representing UEFA have informed FIFA they are “actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints” arising from the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project.
The letter, dated Friday and sent by New York law firm Dechert, also instructed 18 FIFA executives to preserve documents, electronic communications and other records that could serve as evidence in any future proceedings.
“UEFA puts you on formal notice that any destruction, deletion, alteration, concealment, or loss of relevant materials… may constitute spoliation of evidence,” the letter said.
The legal warning came after FIFA President Gianni Infantino withdrew the proposal on Friday, acknowledging it had created divisions within world football.
FIFA had sought to raise approximately $4.2 billion by selling around a 20% stake in a new commercial entity, FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would have managed the governing body’s commercial rights and tournaments, including the World Cup.
The proposal sparked immediate resistance from regional confederations. UEFA’s 55 member associations voted unanimously last week to boycott FIFA competitions while the proposal remained under consideration, while the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF also voiced strong opposition.
On Saturday, UEFA intensified its criticism, saying Infantino had lost the confidence of world football and indicating that “no option should be off the table” regarding his future leadership.
The AP also reported that FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour described the proposal as “the project of one person” and said staff had felt deceived by the process.
Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, had previously told member associations they would receive one-off payments of $20 million if the proposal was approved.
Despite the setback, the FIFA president is still eligible to seek re-election for a fourth and final term in March 2027. His support has traditionally been strongest among African member associations, while South American confederation CONMEBOL has backed his proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams.
However, opposition from UEFA and other confederations has cast uncertainty over his path to another term after what had appeared to be an unchallenged bid for re-election.
