UEFA to file criminal complaint against FIFA president over failed World Cup revenue sale

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has announced that it will file a criminal complaint in Swiss courts against FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The complaint concerns Infantino’s aborted attempt to sell a stake in World Cup revenue to a group of investors that included Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital. UEFA’s legal team has described the proposed sale price of $4.2 billion as a “fraudulently off‑market price,” arguing that the deal was not conducted at fair market value and violated FIFA’s internal regulations.

The complaint follows UEFA’s investigation into the negotiations, which revealed that the proposed stake sale would have granted investors preferential access to World Cup earnings, a move that UEFA claims undermined the integrity of the competition’s commercial framework. UEFA’s lawyers contend that the transaction would have breached FIFA’s statutes and fiduciary duties, and that Infantino’s role in orchestrating the deal constitutes a criminal offence under Swiss law. UEFA has requested that Swiss authorities prosecute Infantino for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty, and it has indicated that it will provide all relevant documentation to support the case.