UEFA tells Infantino not to destroy evidence, confirms legal action over failed FIFA World Cup sell-off plan
The Times Of India August 03, 2026 08:39 AM
UEFA has formally warned FIFA president Gianni Infantino that it is considering legal action over the governing body's failed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, escalating the fallout from a plan that sought to introduce private investment into FIFA's flagship competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups .
The warning comes just days after FIFA withdrew the proposal following widespread opposition from football confederations and national associations. The abandoned project had already sparked threats of a World Cup boycott, internal resignations at FIFA and intense scrutiny over reports that Infantino could eventually have earned an annual salary of around $30 million under the proposed commercial structure, claims FIFA has denied.
FIFA's proposal collapsed after worldwide opposition
The controversy began after reports emerged that FIFA intended to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise, a commercial entity that would manage FIFA competitions and sell a minority stake to private investors in a deal reportedly aimed at raising more than $20 billion.
US investment firm Thrive Capital , founded by Joshua Kushner , the younger brother of Jared Kushner , was reported to be leading the proposed investor group.
The proposal immediately faced fierce resistance from across world football. UEFA's 55 member associations unanimously opposed the plan and warned they would boycott FIFA competitions if it proceeded. Other confederations, including Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), also publicly rejected the proposal, while senior FIFA adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned, saying he could not support the project.
Faced with mounting pressure, FIFA officially confirmed on August 1 that the proposal would not proceed.
UEFA sends formal legal notice to FIFA
Despite FIFA abandoning the project, UEFA has now taken a further step by issuing a formal legal notice to Infantino.
According to a letter first reported by UEFA informed the FIFA president:
"UEFA hereby gives formal notice that it is actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints arising out of and in connection with the FFE plan proposed by FIFA and all related matters as further described below."
The governing body also instructed FIFA to immediately preserve all documents and electronic records connected to the proposal.
The letter continued:
"You and FIFA are required to take immediate steps to identify, locate, and preserve all documents and electronically stored information described in this notice that are in your or FIFA's possession, custody, or control."
UEFA stressed that these obligations override any routine document-retention or deletion policies.
It added:
"These obligations arise independently of any internal retention policy you or your organisation maintain and supersede any routine document destruction or deletion policies that would otherwise apply."
UEFA warns against destroying evidence
The legal notice also contained a direct warning against deleting or altering any records related to the failed proposal.
UEFA wrote:
"UEFA – as well as other confederations, FIFA member associations and football stakeholders – has strongly condemned the FFE plan in the strongest terms as fundamentally incompatible with the proper governance of football."
It continued:
"Given that proceedings are reasonably anticipated, you are obliged to preserve all relevant materials with immediate effect."
The warning became even more explicit later in the letter:
"UEFA puts you on formal notice that any destruction, deletion, alteration, concealment, or loss of relevant materials following receipt of this notice – or following any earlier date on which you were, or reasonably should have been, aware that proceedings were anticipated – may constitute spoliation of evidence."
UEFA further stated that it reserved the right to pursue legal remedies should any evidence be destroyed.
The letter added:
"UEFA reserves all rights to seek appropriate remedies in the proceedings for any such destruction or loss, including applications for adverse inference orders, sanctions, and costs against the responsible party or parties."
The governing body also requested a written acknowledgement from Infantino within five business days confirming receipt of the notice, outlining the steps taken to preserve relevant materials, identifying the individual responsible for compliance and disclosing whether any potentially relevant records had already been destroyed.
Salary reports added further scrutiny
The legal threat comes against the backdrop of reports surrounding the proposed commercial structure.
According to The Times, cited by multiple British outlets, the FFE project would eventually have seen Infantino assume the role of chief executive or commissioner of the new entity, with a reported annual base salary of approximately $30 million, excluding bonuses.
FIFA has disputed suggestions that any such remuneration package was ever formally proposed, maintaining that the FFE initiative was designed solely to explore new ways of generating additional funding for member associations and football development programmes.
FIFA withdrew the proposal after consultation
Announcing the decision to abandon the project, Infantino said the initiative had been intended to strengthen football globally but acknowledged that it had become too divisive.
He said:
"The FFE project was intended to provide a basis for further strengthening our FIFA Member Associations and our sport worldwide, especially in those countries where support is most needed."
Explaining the decision to withdraw it, he added:
"Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place."
Infantino concluded:
"Our purpose has always been — and will always be — to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed. Moving forward, my intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that most need our support."
Fallout continues for FIFA leadership
Although FIFA has abandoned the World Cup commercialisation proposal, the dispute is far from over.
UEFA's legal notice signals that the controversy has moved beyond criticism of the proposal itself and into a potential legal battle over FIFA's decision-making process, governance and handling of the failed project. With legal proceedings now under active consideration and scrutiny of FIFA's leadership intensifying, the repercussions of the abandoned FFE proposal continue to grow despite its withdrawal.
