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FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces growing European backlash and potential legal action over aborted investment plan

UEFA is preparing a potential criminal complaint in Switzerland after FIFA withdrew a proposed $4.2 billion deal with private investors.

Updated Aug 28, 2026 · 20:18 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • UEFA revealed it is preparing a possible criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino and has filed U.S. court requests for evidence regarding a withdrawn $4.2 billion World Cup investment proposal.
  • The failed plan, which aimed to give private investors led by Joshua Kushner a stake in future tournament profits, sparked widespread criticism from European soccer leaders.
  • Multiple European federations have withdrawn support for Infantino ahead of the March 2027 election, with Norway's federation explicitly calling for his resignation.
  • Despite mounting opposition, Infantino retains support among several member federations in Africa, South America, Asia, and the Caribbean, and no challenger has officially declared before the November 18 candidate deadline.

Key facts

  • UEFA is preparing a potential criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino for alleged mismanagement regarding a failed tournament profit-sharing proposal.[Associated Press]
  • UEFA filed requests in U.S. courts seeking evidence about the proposed $4.2 billion plan involving private investors led by Joshua Kushner.[Associated Press]
  • FIFA withdrew the $4.2 billion investment proposal on August 1 following public opposition.[Associated Press]
  • The Norwegian soccer federation has publicly called for Infantino to resign from his position as FIFA president.[Associated Press]
  • Infantino needs a majority vote from FIFA's 211 member federations to win re-election at the FIFA congress in Rabat, Morocco, in March 2027.[Associated Press]
  • The deadline for candidates to enter the FIFA presidential election race is November 18.[Associated Press]

What remains uncertain

  • Whether any formal opposition candidate will emerge to challenge Gianni Infantino prior to the November 18 deadline remains unknown.[Associated Press]
  • It is uncertain whether UEFA will ultimately proceed with filing the criminal complaint in Swiss courts.[Associated Press]

Sources