European football’s governing body, UEFA, has confirmed it has sent a formal legal preservation notice to FIFA, signalling potential legal action over President Gianni Infantino’s abandoned proposal to sell a stake in future FIFA World Cup revenues to private investors.
UEFA confirmed the development in a statement to Al Jazeera on Tuesday, saying it had issued a document preservation letter to FIFA but declined to comment further on the matter.
A preservation letter is a formal legal notice requiring an organisation to preserve documents, electronic communications and other records that could become evidence in future legal proceedings. The move suggests UEFA is preparing for possible litigation or arbitration over the controversial proposal.
Infantino’s plan sought to raise $4.2 billion from private investors, including a New York investment firm founded by Joshua Kushner, through a new entity known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The proposal, which would have handed control of FIFA’s commercial and tournament operations to investors through at least 2038, was withdrawn over the weekend following widespread opposition from football stakeholders.
The proposal sparked fierce resistance across Europe. UEFA’s 55 member associations reportedly agreed to boycott FIFA competitions while the plan remained active, arguing that the initiative raised serious concerns about football governance and the future independence of the global governing body.
According to reports, UEFA’s legal team has warned FIFA that it is actively considering legal action, arbitration and regulatory complaints over the failed investment proposal. The preservation notice reportedly cautions FIFA against destroying or altering any documents linked to the plan, warning that doing so could amount to the destruction of evidence.
The notice is also said to identify 18 FIFA executives, including President Gianni Infantino, Chief Financial Officer Thomas Peyer, and FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger, as individuals whose communications and records should be preserved. Wenger has since stated that he was “not aware” of Infantino’s investment proposal.
The controversy has also intensified pressure on Infantino’s leadership. The Swedish Football Association has confirmed that UEFA is exploring the possibility of backing an alternative candidate for the FIFA presidency ahead of the next election, scheduled for March 2027.
Although Infantino has withdrawn the proposal, the dispute has exposed deep divisions within world football. While UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF have voiced strong opposition, Infantino is believed to retain significant backing from several African federations and parts of South America.
With FIFA’s presidential election approaching, the fallout from the failed investment plan could reshape football’s political landscape and pose one of the biggest leadership challenges Infantino has faced during his decade in office.
