UEFA is initiating criminal legal proceedings against FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, over a now-abandoned plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors. Documents obtained by BBC Sport indicate that UEFA has filed an application seeking access to evidence for proceedings in Switzerland against both Infantino and FIFA.
The application states that on July 28, 2026, Infantino publicly announced a plan to place the commercial rights of the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup into a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). According to the document, this announcement was made without consulting the FIFA Council, UEFA, other confederations, or any of the 211 FIFA member associations. The plan itself was reportedly conceived and developed in secret by Infantino and a small group of associates for over a year prior to the public announcement.