UEFA has escalated its legal battle with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, filing a 60-page discovery request in a United States court as it considers a potential criminal case against him in Switzerland.
The petition went to the Southern District of Florida. UEFA wants permission to subpoena FIFA Americas and the 2026 World Cup for documents and communications that could support its investigation into Infantino’s conduct.
Fresh Questions Over U-15 World Cup Investment
The development comes as The Athletic reports that Infantino did not inform the FIFA Council about private investment talks for a proposed Under-15 World Cup involving all 211 FIFA member associations.
According to the report, the project attracted more than $250 million in financial commitments from investors led by Eldridge Industries, chaired by Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly.
The talks also involved ESPN and Disney. The parties discussed potential 20-year and 30-year agreements covering FIFA branding and licensing rights.
Several FIFA Council members reportedly learned about the investment talks only after The Athletic published its initial report.
FIFA disputes the suggestion that the Council remained unaware. The organisation says it informed the Council in December 2025 that its administration was exploring financial support to cover the substantial cost of the U-15 tournaments.
However, FIFA did not specifically say whether Infantino discussed the external investors or potential commercial returns with the Council.
FIFA ultimately abandoned the investment proposal. The organisation later chose Azerbaijan to host the inaugural U-15 tournament.
UEFA Suspends FIFA Competition Boycott
Meanwhile, UEFA has provisionally lifted its planned boycott of FIFA competitions after receiving written assurances that the FIFA Forward Enterprise project has permanently ended.
Following a meeting in Monaco, UEFA said FIFA confirmed that the project had been “irrevocably and permanently withdrawn”. FIFA also assured UEFA that the proposal would not return under another structure, name or form.
The decision allows European teams to participate in upcoming FIFA competitions, including the Women’s U20 World Cup, U17 World Cup and Women’s U17 World Cup.
However, UEFA stressed that the suspension remains provisional. The organisation warned that it could reconsider the decision immediately if circumstances require.
Infantino Faces Continued Pressure
UEFA has also demanded an independent external review of FIFA Forward Enterprise. The organisation says FIFA cannot investigate itself and expect the football community to accept its findings.
UEFA has also questioned Infantino’s future as FIFA president, saying trust in his leadership has broken down.
The latest developments add to UEFA’s concerns over Infantino’s handling of FIFA’s commercial affairs and governance. The boycott may have been suspended, but the wider confrontation with Infantino is far from over.
