The battle for football’s future: Why UEFA is taking on Infantino and FIFA

Dubai: In light of UEFA preparing criminal legal action against Gianni Infantino, the bitter relationship between European football’s governing body and FIFA has entered a new phase.

What started as a dispute over FIFA’s now-abandoned plans to bring private investment into its commercial business has developed into a much bigger battle over money, governance and, ultimately, who controls the future of world football.

At the center of the dispute is FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a proposed new commercial entity that would have allowed private investors to acquire a stake in future revenues from FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. Investors were expected to pay $4.2 billion for a 20 per cent stake, valuing the business at around $20 billion.

UEFA has questioned how the proposal was developed, valued and approved, arguing that Infantino and a small group of advisers pursued the plan without proper consultation with FIFA’s governing bodies and member associations. UEFA has also sought documents from FIFA-related entities and potential investors through US courts as it builds a possible criminal case in Switzerland.

Infantino has previously defended FFE as a potential opportunity to generate more money for football development, stressing that the proposal would have required approval from FIFA’s member associations and the FIFA Council. FIFA has now permanently abandoned the project.

FIFA controls the World Cup, the most valuable asset in international football, while UEFA controls some of the game's biggest competitions, including the Champions League and European Championship.

Both organisations have enormous financial and political influence, and the relationship between them has overtime become a struggle over the direction of the sport.

For UEFA, allowing FIFA to create a powerful commercial entity backed by private investment could have strengthened Infantino and FIFA even further.

Infantino is expected to seek another term as FIFA president in 2027, meaning the current dispute could have consequences beyond FFE. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has been among Infantino’s strongest critics, while UEFA and several European associations have called for greater transparency and an independent investigation into the failed project.

UEFA can present its actions as an attempt to protect FIFA’s finances and ensure proper governance but weakening Infantino also serves UEFA’s strategic interests.

Now UEFA are seeking evidence that could potentially be used in criminal proceedings against the FIFA president, while Infantino remains focused on retaining his position at the head of world football.

The question is no longer simply whether FIFA was right or wrong to pursue the $4.2 billion deal.

It is whether the failed plan has become something much bigger and turned into a fight over who gets to shape football’s future.