- UEFA has launched legal proceedings against FIFA and Gianni Infantino in Switzerland
- The case centres on a scrapped plan involving private investment in FIFA’s tournament rights
- UEFA is seeking documents and evidence linked to the proposal
UEFA has initiated legal proceedings in Switzerland against FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, over a controversial proposal to transfer stakes in the commercial rights of major FIFA competitions to private investors.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the focuments reviewed by BBC Sport on Thursday showed that UEFA had applied for access to documents and other evidence it considers relevant to the case.
The legal action followed Infantino’s announcement on July 28, 2026, of plans to move the commercial rights to the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup into a newly proposed FIFA subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise.
According to UEFA’s application, the proposal was unveiled without prior consultation with the FIFA Council, UEFA, other continental confederations or FIFA’s 211 member associations.
UEFA alleged that Infantino had publicly presented a plan that had been developed privately with a small group of associates over an extended period.
The application described the proposed structure as an initiative that had reportedly been worked on in secret for more than a year before being announced.
Although FIFA has since abandoned the investment plan, UEFA’s decision to pursue legal action could increase scrutiny of FIFA’s governance and its handling of the commercial rights attached to its most valuable tournaments.
The case is being pursued in Switzerland, where FIFA is headquartered.
UEFA is seeking access to records and other evidence it believes could assist its proceedings against FIFA and Infantino.
The development adds to growing tensions over the management and commercialisation of FIFA’s major competitions and the decision-making processes surrounding the organisation’s fi
nancial interests.
