Uefa prepare criminal complaint against Infantino over failed World Cup sell-off

Uefa are preparing a criminal complaint against Fifa president Gianni Infantino in Switzerland, accusing him of ‘criminal mismanagement’ over his failed attempt to sell commercial stakes in the World Cup.

A 56-page document filed by Uefa’s lawyers in a United States court states that the European governing body is ‘preparing to bring criminal claims in Switzerland against Infantino’. The filing, seen by The Independent, centres on Infantino’s plan to sell a 20 per cent stake in the World Cup to private investors for $4.2 billion — a valuation the document describes as ‘an absurdly low enterprise value’.

Uefa’s lawyers further accused Infantino of standing to gain financially from a process that was ‘neither the product of an open, competitive auction, nor tested by any independent valuer’. The filing stops short of detailing the precise nature of the alleged personal financial benefit, but the language signals the seriousness with which Uefa’s legal team views the episode.

The plan unravelled rapidly last month after Uefa threatened to boycott the World Cup and other Fifa competitions in protest. The swift collapse of the proposal — within days of it becoming public — underscored the depth of opposition from Europe’s governing body, which wields significant influence over the global game through its member associations and the clubs that supply players to every major international tournament.

The criminal mismanagement allegation, if pursued formally in Switzerland — where Fifa is headquartered — would represent an extraordinary escalation in the long-running tensions between Infantino and European football’s leadership. Swiss criminal law allows third parties to initiate proceedings in certain circumstances, meaning Uefa’s stated intention to bring claims is a legally meaningful step rather than a rhetorical threat.

Infantino has not publicly responded to the specific allegations contained in the filing. Fifa has not issued a statement addressing the criminal mismanagement accusation.