UEFA considers legal action against FIFA’s Gianni Infantino over World Cup plan

UEFA is considering bringing criminal proceedings against FIFA president Gianni Infantino in Switzerland over his plan to sell shares in the World Cup to private investors.

European football’s governing body took legal action in New York on Thursday against FIFA, Infantino, and the anticipated lead investor in the World Cup sell-off plan, Thrive Capital.

The New York-based venture capital firm’s chief executive is Joshua Kushner, the brother of United States President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

In a 56-page document filed in the Southern District of New York on Thursday, UEFA said: “UEFA and other interested parties are preparing to bring criminal claims in Switzerland against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials and advisors for criminal mismanagement … arising out of the secretive structuring, valuation, financing, and marketing” of FIFA Forward Enterprise.

“This venture was a vehicle for Infantino and a small circle to acquire a permanent stake and otherwise profit from FIFA’s most valuable assets to the detriment of FIFA, its members, and other parties within the football family.”

The filing of the document in New York came after reports on Wednesday that it has now received guarantees there will be no repeat of FIFA’s controversial private investor plan.

This was the second condition UEFA wanted to be met for European teams to withdraw their threat of a boycott from FIFA tournaments.

The first was the scrapping of the original plan, which happened on August 1.