UEFA portrays the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal as a governance and valuation failure that could have harmed football’s member associations. Infantino’s side has withdrawn the plan and acknowledged mistakes in how it was handled, but has not accepted UEFA’s allegations of criminal wrongdoing.

The dispute between European and world football’s governing bodies is moving from internal politics toward potential litigation. UEFA is seeking documents in the United States that it says could support criminal claims in Switzerland against FIFA president Gianni Infantino and possibly other officials.

UEFA’s filings focus on the proposed sale of a 20% interest in FIFA tournament commercial rights, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, for $4.2 billion. It argues the transaction implied an “absurdly low enterprise value of only approximately $20bn,” which it says was neither competitively auctioned nor independently valued.¹ The organisation also alleges the proposal was developed without proper consultation of confederations or FIFA’s 211 member associations.

In its application, UEFA says it and other parties are “preparing to bring criminal claims in Switzerland against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials and advisors for criminal mismanagement.”² It has sought disclosure from FIFA and US-based entities including JPMorgan and Thrive Capital, reported as the intended lead investor, using a US discovery process designed to assist foreign proceedings.

The central contrast is over how the failed plan should be understood. UEFA characterises it as a secretive arrangement that risked damaging FIFA’s governance, commercial relationships and members’ interests; it alleges the proposal was “a vehicle for Infantino and that small circle to acquire a permanent stake in” FIFA’s most valuable assets.¹ Those are allegations in a document request, not criminal findings.

Infantino withdrew the proposal after opposition across football. He has previously admitted “errors” in FIFA’s handling of it and, alongside secretary general Mattias Grafström, apologised and promised a review for the FIFA Council.³ UEFA’s pursuit of evidence nevertheless keeps the dispute alive ahead of FIFA’s presidential election next year.