UEFA prepares criminal complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino

UEFA is preparing to file a criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino and other officials for alleged criminal mismanagement. The complaint stems from FIFA's now-dropped secret plans to sell stakes in future World Cup profits to private investors, a proposal that had drawn global criticism.

UEFA has made separate applications in the United States, utilizing a Section 1782 order, to obtain information from FIFA and other entities related to the conception of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan. Lawyers for UEFA have formally notified FIFA that they are "actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints." The letter, seen by The Associated Press, also named 18 FIFA executives, including Infantino, chief finance officer Thomas Peyer, and head of global soccer development Arsène Wenger, instructing them to preserve all relevant data, documents, and electronic messages.

The European soccer body warned that any destruction or concealment of materials following receipt of the notice could be considered spoliation of evidence. The controversial proposal, which aimed to raise $4.2 billion from investors, was dropped early Saturday after media reports sparked a significant backlash. UEFA had previously led opposition to the plan, with its 55 member federations meeting to discuss boycotting all FIFA events.