Uefa threatens Fifa with legal action over investment plan

What the report says

Uefa has threatened legal action over a now-scrapped Fifa plan to sell minority stakes in a new commercial vehicle linked to its major competitions, including the World Cup, according to BBC Sport. The move follows growing opposition from European and regional football bodies, and the English Football Association is also expected to withdraw its previous support for Fifa president Gianni Infantino.

BBC Sport reported that Uefa said in a letter to Infantino it was considering legal action, arbitration and possible regulatory complaints over the proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise structure. Uefa also asked for documents and electronic records connected to the plan, including correspondence and meeting notes, as part of what it described as a preservation notice. Fifa had aimed to invite outside investors to take non-controlling stakes in the subsidiary.

The reported dispute comes amid wider criticism of Infantino’s leadership from football authorities in Europe, as well as Concacaf, the governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean. Wales has already publicly withdrawn support for his bid to remain Fifa president. Fifa had also told its 211 member associations they could receive funding if they backed the proposal, with a deadline set for 19 September, BBC Sport said. The development matters because it highlights deep disagreement over how football’s global governing body should fund and commercialise its competitions.