Key facts
- Alex Spiro will represent Joshua Kushner and Thrive Capital in a legal dispute concerning FIFA's World Cup sell-off plan.
- UEFA has initiated litigation against FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino.
- UEFA is seeking communications between FIFA officials, Infantino, and Kushner through discovery requests in U.S. courts.
- UEFA is considering Swiss criminal proceedings against Infantino and other FIFA officials for alleged criminal mismanagement.
- The proposed sell-off aimed to raise $4.2 billion by selling stakes in FIFA Forward Enterprise.
Alex Spiro, an attorney known for representing high-profile clients including Elon Musk and Jay-Z, has been retained to represent Joshua Kushner and his company Thrive Capital in a legal dispute with FIFA over its proposed sale of stakes in a new subsidiary. UEFA initiated litigation against FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino last week, challenging Infantino's plan to sell stakes in FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would hold the commercial rights to the World Cup, to outside investors including Thrive Capital.
UEFA is seeking discovery requests in U.S. courts for communications between FIFA officials, Infantino, and Kushner as it weighs a complaint to Swiss courts over alleged "criminal mismanagement." The football body aims to establish who at FIFA and outside the organization knew about the plan and how any individuals might have benefited from it. UEFA and its counsel are contemplating Swiss criminal proceedings against Infantino and potentially other FIFA officials for criminal mismanagement under Swiss law, asserting UEFA has standing as a complainant.
FIFA and Infantino have been embroiled in controversy since details of the plan to raise $4.2 billion by selling stakes in FIFA Forward Enterprise emerged. While UEFA, AFC, and Concacaf led the opposition, and FIFA and Infantino have since scrapped the sell-off plan, these confederations are still pushing for Infantino to step down.