UEFA has hinted at the possibility of initiating legal proceedings against FIFA president Gianni Infantino regarding his controversial World Cup sell-off proposal. Furthermore, it has advised him to refrain from destroying any documents related to this contentious plan, according to sources speaking to ESPN.
The governing body of European football has also reached out to Joshua Kushner, Greg Maffei, JP Morgan, and Open Economics to inform them that it is contemplating legal action due to their involvement with the abandoned proposal.
ESPN has obtained a document preservation letter sent to Infantino, which serves as a formal request to halt the destruction of evidence. This ensures that any documents pertinent to the potential dispute are preserved for future legal proceedings.
ESPN has contacted FIFA for a statement regarding the matter.
Infantino decided to withdraw his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup following substantial public backlash.
Infantino had aimed to establish a $20 billion company to manage the World Cup with private investors, including the Kushner family. However, the backlash intensified following the announcement made on Tuesday.
In a statement issued late Friday, Infantino declared that the “proposal will not proceed.”
– Marcotti: Why Infantino’s plans to sell the World Cup made no sense
– Football Association of Wales withdraws support for Infantino’s re-election
This announcement followed UEFA’s 55 member nations agreeing to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions on Thursday in protest of the proposal, stating, “some things are simply too important to sell.” Additionally, two prominent FIFA officials publicly criticized the plan, with one resigning from his position as a presidential adviser and another claiming that staff members were misled by the initiative.
The failure of Infantino’s proposal to launch a $20 billion subsidiary to oversee FIFA’s competitions and events, including the World Cup and Club World Cups, has cast doubt on his anticipated re-election as FIFA president in March 2027.