Uefa must act on Fifa World Cup plans
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
UEFA is pursuing criminal legal proceedings against FIFA and president Gianni Infantino over the scrapped World.
The move escalates the governance war and could threaten Infantino's position ahead of March.
Background
In August 2026, FIFA president Gianni Infantino proposed a plan to sell a 20% stake in a subsidiary that would run FIFA's commercial events, including the World Cup, to private investors for $4.2 billion. The plan was met with fierce backlash from UEFA and other soccer bodies, and was withdrawn on Aug 1. UEFA had threatened to boycott FIFA competitions unless FIFA guaranteed no repeat of such a plan. Now UEFA is escalating by preparing criminal complaints against Infantino in Swiss courts for alleged criminal mismanagement.
How it unfolded
- Aug 1, 2026Infantino dropped the World Cup sell-off plan after a furious backlash from global soccer leaders, including UEFA.
- Aug 26, 2026UEFA is set to formally withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA competitions after receiving assurances the plan will not be revived.
- Aug 27, 2026UEFA is pursuing criminal legal proceedings against FIFA and Infantino, applying for documents in Florida and preparing a criminal complaint in Switzerland.
Who’s saying what
- UEFA
- UEFA's application says the plan was 'a vehicle for Infantino and that small circle to acquire a permanent stake in and otherwise profit from Fifa's most valuable assets to the detriment of Fifa, its members, and other parties within the football family.'
- FIFA
- FIFA welcomed the update from UEFA in a statement, adding it 'strongly believes that football has the power to unite, even in challenging circumstances, and looks forward to welcoming all teams and players to Poland.'
Still unverified
The $4.2 billion figure could be a 'fraudulently off-market price promoted by Infantino for his own benefit' according to UEFA's lawyers, but this is an allegation in a legal document and not proven.