Kenneth Glad
An internal dispute over commercial control has developed into a legal evidence-gathering effort. The outcome could carry wider consequences for the administration of international football.
UEFA is turning to the U.S. courts as part of its preparations before deciding whether to pursue a criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
According to Reuters, UEFA has filed an application seeking access to material held by FIFA Americas and FWC2026 US, two FIFA entities operating in Florida. The filing is an evidence-gathering step rather than the start of a Swiss criminal case.
The requested material relates to the origins, development and internal handling of FIFA Forward Enterprise, or FFE. The proposed commercial project was unveiled publicly in July but was abandoned only days later after facing significant opposition within international football.
Questions over internal handling
UEFA alleges that Infantino and a small group developed FFE without properly consulting the FIFA Council, the regional confederations or FIFA’s 211 member associations. The organization has raised questions about how the proposal was prepared internally and how widely it was discussed before being made public. Those allegations have not been tested or established in Swiss criminal proceedings.
FIFA gave a different account when it announced FFE on July 28. It said the new FIFA-owned subsidiary would bring commercial rights and event operations under one structure while opening the door to minority, non-controlling investment from outside parties. FIFA said it planned to raise as much as $4.2 billion, based on an initial equity valuation of $20 billion.
The proposal could not have been implemented without majority backing from FIFA’s member associations, together with the relevant approvals from the FIFA Council. FIFA said the aim was to generate additional commercial income and direct more money into football development around the world.
Proposal ultimately withdrawn
Infantino abandoned FFE on July 31, only days after the plan had been made public. In announcing the decision, he acknowledged that the proposal had caused divisions within international football and said the project would no longer move forward.
The controversy has nevertheless continued beyond the collapse of the project itself, with UEFA now seeking material linked to how FFE was developed and handled inside FIFA.
Infantino remains a candidate in the next FIFA presidential election, scheduled for March 18, 2027, in Rabat, Morocco. The vote will determine whether he continues to lead world football’s governing body after a period marked by the dispute over FFE and its subsequent withdrawal.
Sources: Reuters
