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UEFA has taken its fight with Gianni Infantino out of the boardroom and into three American courtrooms, hunting for evidence to support a criminal complaint in Switzerland. That move could do what years of grumbling never managed: force a real contest for football’s top job. Infantino scrapped his investor stake plan within days of a three-confederation boycott threat, yet the damage to his standing never disappeared. Wales, Serbia and Sweden have already withdrawn support, and with the March 2027 vote approaching, the sport’s old certainties are cracking.
Infantino unveiled the FIFA Forward Enterprise at the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver on July 28, pitching a for-profit subsidiary to control World Cup and Club World Cup commercial rights. The plan aimed to raise $4.2 billion by selling roughly 20 percent of it, valuing the whole operation at $20 billion, with Josh Kushner’s Thrive Capital lined up as lead investor.
The backlash arrived fast. UEFA voted to boycott every FIFA competition rather than accept the plan, and the AFC and CONCACAF followed with formal rejections, meaning confederations holding roughly two-thirds of FIFA’s voting power turned against their own president. Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser, resigned in protest, calling it a bad deal, and Infantino pulled the proposal days later.
Late in August, UEFA filed evidence discovery requests in three separate US federal courts. New York was asked for records from Kushner and Thrive Capital, a Florida court for documents tied to the World Cup’s US operational entity, and a Colorado court for files from Maffei and BANN Ventures. None of this is a lawsuit yet; it’s the evidence-gathering stage before a planned Swiss criminal complaint.
The filings accuse Infantino of fraudulently offering World Cup stakes without proper authorization at a disputed valuation. The governing body hit back on September 4, asking a Colorado judge to defer or dismiss the request by September 30, and confirmed it will cover Infantino’s personal legal bills if the case against him proceeds.
FIFA’s Colorado filing dismissed UEFA’s applications as little more than press releases dressed up with legal captions, arguing they mainly support a wider campaign against the federation’s leadership. Its New York filing went further, arguing UEFA was seeking discovery for a foreign criminal case that doesn’t exist and that UEFA has no authority to start.
Infantino framed the retreat as an act of unity rather than defeat, saying the divisions the project created were no longer worth the fight. UEFA had already called the scheme a sale of football, warning its soul and governance were under threat and that a plan of this scale had no business being drawn up in secret. Kushner later admitted Thrive had misjudged the politics badly.
FIFA’s presidency will be decided on March 18, 2027, at the 77th Congress in Rabat, with all 211 member associations voting and 106 needed to win. Infantino is standing for what would be a fourth term, arguing his 2016 to 2019 stretch shouldn’t count under the three-term limit.
| Confederation | Votes | Stance on Infantino |
| UEFA | 55 | Opposed, backing a rival candidate |
| AFC | 46 | Formally rejected the investor plan |
| CONCACAF | 35 | Formally rejected the investor plan |
| CAF | 54 | Pledged continued support |
| OFC | 11 | Pledged continued support |
Before the plan collapsed, Infantino had backing from more than 200 associations and was expected to run unopposed, as in 2019 and 2023. UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF together hold 136 votes, enough to end his run if they stay unified.
Wales, Serbia and Sweden have already withdrawn support, and UEFA has promised to field what it called a credible alternative candidate committed to accountability and institutional change, a direct challenge nobody has mounted since 2016.
None of this guarantees Infantino loses in Rabat. Term-limit arguments and confederation politics rarely move in straight lines, and 106 votes is a high bar for any single bloc to clear alone. But a FIFA UEFA Gianni Infantino governance crisis that started over a $20 billion investment pitch has now spilled into three American courtrooms and a Swiss criminal complaint in waiting, hardly the backdrop of a president cruising toward an uncontested fourth term.
If UEFA and its allies back a rival candidate, does Infantino survive March 2027, or is this the beginning of the end? Sound off below.
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What was FIFA’s Forward Enterprise plan?
It was Infantino’s proposal to sell roughly 20 percent of a new subsidiary controlling World Cup commercial rights. The plan targeted $4.2 billion at a $20 billion valuation before it was withdrawn on August 1, 2026.
Why is UEFA taking Gianni Infantino to court?
UEFA is gathering evidence in three US federal courts to support a planned Swiss criminal complaint over alleged mismanagement. Its filings accuse him of fraudulently offering World Cup stakes without proper authorization.
Will Gianni Infantino run for a fourth term?
Yes, he has confirmed his candidacy for the March 2027 election in Rabat. He argues his 2016-2019 stint doesn’t count as a full term under the three-term limit.
How many votes does UEFA control in football’s governing body?
UEFA holds 55 votes out of 211 member associations. Combined with the AFC’s 46 votes and CONCACAF’s 35, that opposition bloc reaches 136 votes, just short of the 106 needed to swing an election alone.
When is the next presidential election for world football’s governing body?
The vote is scheduled for March 18, 2027, at the 77th Congress in Rabat, Morocco. All 211 member associations will cast a vote, with 106 needed to win.
