UEFA has formally threatened legal action against FIFA over Gianni Infantino’s abandoned plan to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights, escalating a global backlash against the FIFA president’s leadership. The European football body also demanded that FIFA preserve evidence related to the proposal, which was withdrawn last week after widespread opposition from member associations.
UEFA issues legal warning to FIFA
UEFA notified FIFA on Monday that it is actively considering legal action, arbitration, and regulatory complaints regarding the proposed $4.2 billion privatization plan, which involved selling a 20% stake in a new entity managing World Cup and other FIFA competition rights. The plan included investors such as Joshua Kushner’s New York-based firm, triggering immediate condemnation from football stakeholders.
In a strongly worded letter, UEFA warned FIFA executives—including Infantino, FIFA’s chief financial officer, and Arsène Wenger—to retain all relevant data and communications as potential evidence. The letter stated: “Any destruction, deletion, alteration, concealment, or loss of relevant materials … may constitute spoliation of evidence.” UEFA also confirmed it is exploring alternative candidates for FIFA’s March presidential election.
FAW becomes first home nation to withdraw support for Infantino
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) announced on Monday it will no longer support Infantino’s re-election bid for the 2027–2031 term, citing “failures in good governance, processes, leadership, values, stakeholder management, communications and sound judgement.” The FAW’s statement explicitly linked its decision to the controversial privatization proposal, which it described as prioritizing financial interests over football’s best interests.
UEFA and CONCACAF, the governing body for North and Central American football, had already issued joint statements criticizing FIFA’s leadership following the withdrawal of the privatization plan. CONCACAF described the proposal as “a failure of transparency and accountability”, while UEFA vowed to boycott FIFA events if the plan proceeded.
Political maneuvering and global pressure mount
The escalating crisis has drawn international attention, with reports suggesting Infantino sought White House support to retain his position. However, the U.S. State Department denied claims of a planned call between Infantino and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Meanwhile, The Telegraph reported that President Donald Trump may intervene to protect Infantino, citing an unnamed senior administration official who stated: “Gianni helped us deliver the best World Cup ever … The president likes him a lot.”
Infantino, a vocal ally of Trump, has faced growing opposition from football’s governing bodies. Leaders from UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have reportedly formed an alliance to “paralyse FIFA” if Infantino remains in power, including the possibility of staging rival international competitions. A source told The Times: “Everyone is very determined he needs to go, and if not we will take all the necessary steps [to remove him].”
FIFA’s response and next steps
FIFA has not publicly addressed the legal threats or political pressure but confirmed the privatization plan was abandoned after “a major revolt from the footballing world.” Infantino has not publicly commented on the escalating crisis, which has raised questions about his future as FIFA president ahead of the March election. UEFA’s legal threats and the FAW’s withdrawal of support mark the most concrete challenges to his leadership to date.