UEFA threatens legal action against FIFA over scrapped World Cup Investment Plan

UEFA has intensified its dispute with FIFA by threatening legal action against President Gianni Infantino and demanding the preservation of documents linked to the governing body’s abandoned plan to attract private investment into its flagship competitions.

The latest development comes days after FIFA officially shelved the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which sought to establish a new commercial subsidiary to manage and monetize major tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup.

The proposal sparked fierce opposition across world football, with UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) raising concerns about the potential privatisation of football’s most valuable competitions.

UEFA’s 55 member associations had previously warned they would boycott FIFA competitions if the project proceeded.

Although FIFA later abandoned the initiative, stating that the proposal had created “division” within the football community, UEFA has continued to pursue the matter.

According to reports, UEFA has sent a formal legal notice to FIFA and several parties linked to the proposal, including Joshua Kushner, Greg Maffei, JP Morgan, and OpenEconomics.

The letter, reportedly obtained by The Telegraph, states: “UEFA hereby gives formal notice that it is actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints (together, the ‘proceedings’) arising out of and in connection with the FFE plan proposed by FIFA and all related matters.”

UEFA also instructed FIFA to preserve all relevant records and electronic communications connected to the proposal.

The letter added, “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.”

The now-scrapped FFE proposal would have allowed FIFA to sell minority stakes in a new commercial entity responsible for managing broadcasting rights, sponsorships, ticketing, and licensing for its major tournaments.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the initiative as a way to generate billions of dollars for football development worldwide. However, widespread opposition from continental confederations, football administrators, and senior FIFA advisers ultimately forced the governing body to abandon the plan.

While the proposal is no longer being pursued, UEFA’s latest legal warning suggests the fallout from the controversy is far from over, with the possibility of arbitration, regulatory complaints, or court proceedings still looming over FIFA.