UEFA has launched legal proceedings against FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, following a disputed plan to place the commercial rights of some of FIFA’s biggest tournaments under private investment.
Documents seen by BBC Sport on Thursday indicate that UEFA has approached authorities in Switzerland to secure documents and other evidence it considers important to its case against FIFA and Infantino.
The dispute follows Infantino’s announcement on July 28, 2026, concerning plans to move the commercial rights for the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup to a newly created FIFA entity, FIFA Forward Enterprise.
In its legal filing, UEFA claimed that the proposal was announced without consultation with the FIFA Council, UEFA, other continental confederations or FIFA’s 211 member associations.
“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.”
UEFA also alleged that the public announcement followed more than a year of confidential planning involving Infantino and a limited number of associates.
“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.
While the proposed investment plan has reportedly been dropped, the legal action could intensify questions surrounding FIFA’s governance and the way commercial rights to its major competitions are managed.
The case is being pursued in Switzerland, where FIFA is based, with UEFA seeking documents and evidence it believes could assist its proceedings against the world football governing body and its president.
