UEFA asks US court to reject FIFA subsidiaries’ role in Infantino evidence case
UEFA says two American FIFA subsidiaries have no direct legal interest in its request for evidence linked to a potential Swiss criminal complaint concerning Gianni Infantino’s withdrawn commercial rights plan.
UEFA has asked a Manhattan federal court to reject attempts by FIFA (Americas) Inc and FWC2026 US Inc to intervene in its application for documents and testimony connected to a potential Swiss criminal case involving FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The European football governing body is seeking evidence from Thrive Capital Management and its founder, Joshua Kushner, under a US discovery law. UEFA says they may hold information about the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise transaction.
Infantino withdrew the plan on 1 August after criticism from football bodies and other opponents. The proposal involved selling private investors a permanent stake in commercial and operational rights linked to the World Cup and other FIFA events.
UEFA says it is considering a Swiss criminal complaint alleging criminal mismanagement by Infantino and potentially other FIFA officials. It argues the two subsidiaries have no direct legal interest because they are not targets of the potential case and would not receive the proposed subpoenas.
UEFA also says intervention would cause unnecessary delay, arguing that Thrive and Kushner can challenge any subpoenas through their own lawyers. FIFA has described the discovery effort as a “smear campaign” and a “fishing expedition”. Infantino and FIFA have not been charged with wrongdoing, and Infantino denies wrongdoing.
The court has not ruled on either UEFA’s discovery application or the subsidiaries’ intervention motion. Infantino is expected to seek a fourth term in FIFA’s presidential election in March.
