UEFA's Swiss criminal case vs Infantino's abandoned World Cup deal

Lo scontro between UEFA and FIFA has shifted from a commercial dispute to a courtroom offensive, with UEFA preparing a criminal complaint in Switzerland (Svizzera) against FIFA president Gianni Infantino, while Infantino’s abandoned World Cup profit‑selling plan remains under scrutiny. The contrast pits UEFA’s legal assault against a project scrapped in early August.

Evidence requests in the United States

On Thursday UEFA announced that it had filed documents at a Manhattan court to seek access to potential evidence held by Thrive Capital Management, a New York investment fund founded by Joshua Kushner, identified as a key investor in the abandoned scheme.

At the same time the organisation lodged a separate request in a southern Florida district court to obtain authorization for gathering documentation in a foreign proceeding against FIFA, which maintains offices in Coral Gables near Miami.

The abandoned commercial plan and its valuation

The commercial plan envisioned FIFA creating a controlled company to manage its main commercial assets, including the World Cup (Mondiali), with Thrive Capital and Kushner leading a group of investors that would contribute $4.2 billion for a 20 % stake in the new entity.

UEFA argues that the $4.2 billion price for 20 % implies an enterprise value of roughly $20 billion, a figure the European body believes is far below the true worth of the assets involved.

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UEFA's push for a Swiss criminal case

According to a document cited by the Associated Press, UEFA lawyers are evaluating a Swiss criminal proceeding under article 158 of the Swiss Penal Code against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials for alleged mismanagement. The filing alleges the $4.2 billion price was fraudulently out of market and promoted by Infantino for personal gain. The press has not received any comment from FIFA.

The plan was formally withdrawn by Infantino on 1 August after strong opposition from numerous football executives and federations, with UEFA leading the criticism; two days later UEFA warned FIFA not to destroy, modify or conceal documents relevant to the operation.

To date neither FIFA nor Thrive Capital have provided comments on UEFA’s new initiatives, and the European body continues to seek U.S. documents to support a potential criminal filing in Switzerland (Svizzera).

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The juxtaposition of UEFA’s aggressive legal strategy with Infantino’s abandoned commercial ambitions underscores a widening institutional rift that may reshape governance of football’s most lucrative assets.