UEFA seeks US court records for Swiss criminal complaint against FIFA President Infantino

Discovery filings in US federal courts

European soccer's governing body, UEFA, submitted legal applications in US federal courts on 27 August 2026 to obtain evidence for a planned Swiss criminal complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The filings target New York investment fund Thrive Capital Management, founded by Joshua Kushner, alongside Florida-based entities FIFA (Americas), Inc. and FWC2026 US, Inc. Filed under Section 1782, the applications seek witness testimony and internal records detailing how FIFA structured, marketed, and valued an aborted commercial venture. UEFA submitted a 56-page filing in the Southern District of New York and a 60-page document in Florida. The European governing body aims to use the collected material to support proceedings in Switzerland for suspected criminal mismanagement.

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.

Terms of the abandoned commercial spin-off

The legal dispute centers on FIFA Forward Enterprise, a proposed subsidiary intended to control the commercial and broadcasting rights for tournaments including the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup. Under the structure developed by Infantino, private investors would have acquired a 20% to 21% stake in the commercial vehicle in exchange for $4.2 billion. UEFA asserts that the overall $20 billion enterprise valuation placed on FIFA's commercial rights was severely undervalued and set without an open auction or an independent assessment. To secure backing among global football administrators, Infantino offered $40 million to each of FIFA's 211 member associations. The court submissions allege that the initiative was rushed through internal approvals, giving FIFA officials only a few hours to review the multibillion-dollar project.

Allegations of governance bypass and self-interest

UEFA contends that Infantino developed the proposal in secret with external advisers and investors, bypassing the FIFA Council, regional confederations, and national associations. In its US court petitions, UEFA argues that the venture was designed to grant Infantino and an inner circle permanent financial stakes in soccer's most lucrative assets. The filings describe the structure as detrimental to FIFA, its constituent member associations, and the broader sport. Thrive Capital was positioned as the lead external investor in the vehicle, while US President Donald Trump publicly defended Infantino during subsequent pushback. UEFA maintains that the valuation favored private buyers at the expense of football's governing bodies.

This venture was a vehicle for Infantino and a small circle to acquire a permanent stake and otherwise profit from FIFA's most valuable assets to the detriment of FIFA, its members, and other parties within the football family.

Escalation following boycott threats and withdrawal

Opposition from UEFA and international soccer stakeholders forced FIFA to scrap the commercial project on 1 August 2026 after European federations threatened to boycott future FIFA competitions. On 3 August 2026, UEFA lawyers issued formal preservation notices to FIFA, naming 14 executives who were instructed not to destroy or conceal electronic documents. UEFA subsequently secured explicit guarantees on 26 August 2026 that FIFA would not revive the private investment framework. Despite the project's cancellation, UEFA leadership under President Aleksander Čeferin decided to pursue legal accountability. The Swiss complaint will focus on unfaithful business management and breach of fiduciary duties during the deal's formulation.