UEFA is gearing up to file a criminal complaint against FIFA president Gianni Infantino in Swiss courts due to potential financial mismanagement related to his unsuccessful proposal to sell future World Cup profits to private investors. The complaint stems from a plan where Thrive Capital Management, a New York investment fund founded by Joshua Kushner, would have been the main investors, offering to pay FIFA $4.2 billion for a 20% stake in a subsidiary managing FIFA’s commercial events, such as the World Cup.
Documents filed by UEFA in a Manhattan court seek to uncover evidence from Thrive Capital Management, while a request has been made in a southern Florida district for authorization to gather evidence against FIFA itself. UEFA’s lawyers are considering pursuing a Swiss criminal proceeding against Infantino and potentially other FIFA officials for potential criminal mismanagement under Swiss law.
Infantino abandoned the proposed sell-off plan on August 1 following strong opposition from global soccer leaders, including UEFA. UEFA had previously warned FIFA not to tamper with any relevant materials linked to the plan. According to UEFA’s lawyers, the $4.2 billion valuation suggested by Infantino could have been a misleading figure promoted for personal gain. The lawyers claim that the plan was intended to benefit Infantino and a select group by gaining a permanent stake in FIFA’s most valuable assets to the detriment of FIFA and its affiliates.
Both FIFA and Thrive have been contacted for comments on the matter. In a separate development, Saudi Arabia, the host of the 2034 World Cup, publicly expressed support for Infantino’s efforts to unify global soccer. Infantino has established strong relationships with Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his tenure and played a role in steering the 2034 World Cup towards the kingdom. They recently attended a Saudi-backed gaming event in Paris.