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UEFA Threatens Legal Action Against FIFA President Gianni Infantino Following Failed World Cup Privatization Plan

evening · · thread: FIFA Proposes Sale of World Cup Commercial Stakes, Sparking Fierce UEFA Backlash

17 sources across 14 countries · 1 of them is linked to a state

Who reported this

  • Der Spiegel Germany · Centre-left · ~50% staff-owned
  • Sueddeutsche Zeitung Germany · Centre-left · Sudwestdeutsche Medien Holding
  • Frankfurter Allgemeine Germany · Centre-right · FAZIT-Stiftung (foundation)
  • Daily Maverick South Africa · Centre-left · Reader-funded
  • Business Day South Africa · Centre-right · Arena Holdings (Lebashe Investment Group)
  • Politico Europe Belgium · Centre · Axel Springer SE
  • CNN Brasil Brazil · Centre · Rubens Menin (MRV)
  • La Tercera Chile · Centre-right · Copesa (Saieh family)
  • France 24 France · Centre · Public · France Medias Monde (French state holding)
  • The Indian Express India · Centre · Indian Express Group (Goenka family)
  • Tempo English Indonesia · Centre-left · PT Tempo Inti Media
  • ANSA Italy · Centre · Publisher cooperative
  • Aftenposten Norway · Centre-right · Schibsted, Tinius Trust foundation
  • Al Jazeera Qatar · Centre-left · State-affiliated · Qatari government funded
  • The Korea Herald South Korea · Centre-right · Herald Corporation (Yeongpoong Group)
  • Neue Zuercher Zeitung Switzerland · Centre-right · Dispersed shareholders, no controlling stake
  • Reuters United Kingdom · Centre · Thomson Reuters Corporation

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.

Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.

UEFA is considering legal action, arbitration, and regulatory complaints against FIFA President Gianni Infantino and other individuals involved in a plan to privatize a share of the World Cup's commercial operations. The proposal, which sought to raise up to 4.2 billion dollars by selling a 20 percent stake in a new entity called FIFA Forward Enterprise to private investors, was abandoned after fierce resistance from stakeholders. The plan reportedly involved a partnership with Thrive Capital, a venture capital firm led by Joshua Kushner, who is the brother of Jared Kushner. UEFA has issued a document preservation order to prevent the destruction of evidence related to the project.

The fallout has led to a significant loss of confidence in Infantino's leadership. Regional confederations including UEFA and CONCACAF have explicitly stated they have lost trust in him. Several national associations have withdrawn their support for his re-election bid for the 2027 to 2031 term, including Wales, England, and Sweden. Some reports indicate that over 200 of FIFA's 211 members had previously signed letters of support, many of which were pre-written by FIFA.

Controversies surrounding the plan include allegations that Infantino would have seen his annual salary increase from approximately 4.8 million dollars to 64 million dollars. Other reports suggest that decisions during the 2026 World Cup, such as the overturning of a red card for player Folarin Balogun after a conversation between Infantino and Donald Trump, were used to demonstrate the tournament's commercial flexibility to investors. Additionally, some reports claim Infantino sought assistance from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to maintain his position, though FIFA sources have denied these claims.

Infantino's opponents may seek to remove him through an extraordinary congress if 20 percent of member associations request one. While he has faced heavy criticism from European and North American bodies, some analysis suggests he may still maintain support from developing nations that rely on FIFA's development grants. The FIFA presidential election is scheduled for March 18, 2027, in Morocco.

How each side framed it

Centre-left
These outlets highlighted the systemic failure of governance and the potential for a broader movement to replace Infantino's leadership.
Centre
These outlets focused on the legal threats from UEFA and the specific details of the privatization proposal.
Centre-right
These outlets emphasized the financial details of Infantino's potential salary increase and the specific national associations withdrawing support.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.