UEFA confirm legal letter served to FIFA after Infantino World Cup plan

What the report says

UEFA has confirmed to Al Jazeera that it sent FIFA a formal document-preservation letter after Gianni Infantino abandoned a controversial plan to sell a stake in future World Cup-related profits to private investors. The notice was described as a legal step tied to possible litigation, arbitration or regulatory complaints over the proposal, which UEFA and several member federations strongly opposed.

According to Al Jazeera’s report, the letter instructs FIFA to keep relevant records, including documents and electronic communications, because evidence could be needed later. The article says the notice was issued by UEFA lawyers and referenced potential legal action connected to the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan. It also names several FIFA officials, including Infantino, as people linked to the matter.

The dispute follows the collapse of Infantino’s plan to raise about $4.2bn through investors, including a New York-based firm linked to Joshua Kushner. The proposal would have spun off commercial and tournament operations and offered member federations one-time payments. After the plan was withdrawn, UEFA’s 55 member federations reportedly backed a boycott of FIFA events while the issue remained active.

The broader significance is that the episode has deepened tensions between UEFA and FIFA and raised new questions about governance inside world football. For context, Infantino has led FIFA for more than a decade and had been expected to seek another term next year; the report says his political position now appears less secure.