UEFA has asked three federal courts in the United States to release documents it intends to use in a criminal complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Switzerland.
European football’s governing body filed the applications on August 27 in the Southern District of New York, the Southern District of Florida and the District of Colorado.
They target the New York investment fund Thrive Capital Management, founded by Joshua Kushner, and two FIFA companies registered in Coral Gables, near Miami.
The Colorado filing covers BANN Ventures, the firm of former Liberty Media chief executive Greg Maffei, who acted as a commercial adviser on the transaction.
“UEFA and its counsel are contemplating a Swiss criminal proceeding against Infantino,” its lawyers wrote in a 56-page document seen by the Associated Press.
Any complaint would be brought under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code, which covers criminal mismanagement. FIFA is based in Zurich and Infantino is a Swiss citizen.
Infantino announced on July 28 that FIFA would place the commercial rights to the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup in a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise.
Thrive was to lead a group of investors paying $4.2 billion (€3.6 billion) for a 20 per cent stake, implying a valuation of $20 billion (€17.2 billion).
UEFA’s lawyers told the courts that figure was neither the product of an open auction nor tested by an independent valuer, and asked for the underlying valuation work.
The filings also allege that Infantino designated Thrive as lead investor without consulting the FIFA Council, the confederations or the 211 member associations.
FIFA dropped the plan on August 1 after UEFA’s 55 member associations voted unanimously to boycott every FIFA competition while it remained alive.
Hours after the court applications emerged, UEFA said it had agreed to suspend that withdrawal “on a provisional basis” after receiving assurances the scheme would not return.
The decision clears the way for European teams to play at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup, which Poland is due to host from September 5.
Thrive declined to comment. FIFA did not respond to requests for comment on the applications.
Kushner is the younger brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, whose closeness to Infantino drew criticism across Europe during the World Cup.
UEFA has called on Infantino to resign and said it would work to ensure a credible alternative if he stands again at the FIFA Congress in Rabat in March 2027.
