UEFA Takes Legal Action Against FIFA and Infantino

UEFA has started legal action against FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino. This follows a plan that was later dropped to sell parts of the commercial rights to the World Cup and other FIFA events to private investors.

Documents seen by BBC Sport on Thursday show that UEFA wants to access evidence and documents for the case in Switzerland against FIFA and Infantino.

This legal step came after Infantino announced on July 28, 2026, that FIFA would create a new subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise. This subsidiary would manage the commercial rights to the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup.

The documents claim that this proposal was made without talking to the FIFA Council, UEFA, other confederations, or any of FIFA's 211 member associations. The application stated: “On July 28, 2026, without consulting the FIFA Council, UEFA, or any of the other confederations, or any of the 211 FIFA member associations, Infantino, purportedly acting on behalf of FIFA, publicly announced a plan to place the commercial rights to the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup into a new subsidiary: FIFA Forward Enterprise.”

It also claims that the announcement was the first time the public heard about a plan that Infantino and a small group of people had been working on in secret for over a year. “That announcement by Infantino was the public unveiling of a plan that he and a small circle of co-conspirators had conceived and reportedly been developing in secret for more than a year,” the application said.

Even though the proposed investment structure has been cancelled, UEFA's legal action may bring more attention to how FIFA runs its operations and manages the commercial rights to its key events.

The case is taking place in Switzerland, where FIFA has its headquarters. UEFA is looking to get access to documents and other evidence that it thinks could help in the case against FIFA and Infantino.