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UEFA pursues US subpoenas against FIFA president Gianni Infantino

The European football governing body seeks documents and depositions over a shelved plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions.

Updated Aug 28, 2026 · 15:18 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • UEFA has filed legal papers in the United States to secure subpoenas for documents and depositions from FIFA, venture capital firm Thrive Capital, and individual advisers.
  • The legal escalation targets FIFA President Gianni Infantino's collapsed FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, which UEFA lawyers characterize as criminal mismanagement.
  • Despite dropping a threat to boycott FIFA competitions, UEFA is demanding independent governance reforms and may support a challenger in FIFA's upcoming March presidential election.

Key facts

  • UEFA lawyers have lodged legal papers in the United States seeking access to evidence for potential future criminal litigation in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino.[BBC News]
  • The dispute centers on the now-shelved FIFA Forward Enterprise plan to sell competition stakes to private investors, which UEFA alleges valued the World Cup at a fraudulently low rate of around £15 billion.[BBC News]
  • UEFA is seeking US subpoenas for testimonies and documents from FIFA, Thrive Capital, its founder Josh Kushner, and former Formula 1 chief Greg Maffei.[BBC News]
  • The Saudi Arabian Football Federation issued qualified backing for Infantino, expressing support for his efforts to restore unity.[BBC News]
  • UEFA withdrew its threat of a competition boycott after obtaining assurances that the investment scheme would not be revived.[BBC News]

What remains uncertain

  • It remains unclear if US courts will grant the subpoenas, as legal experts suggest targets like Kushner could argue the details are confidential business interests.[BBC News]
  • It is uncertain whether UEFA will formally file a criminal complaint in Switzerland, or if Swiss prosecutors would act on it, given past instances where criminal complaints against FIFA leaders did not result in convictions.[BBC News]
  • Whether a viable alternative candidate will step forward to challenge Infantino in the March election is currently unknown.[BBC News]

Sources