UEFA warns FIFA president Gianni Infantino about possible legal action over the failed World Cup sale plan.
UEFA has warned Gianni Infantino about possible legal action after FIFA’s plan to sell part of the World Cup tournaments didn’t go well. On July 28, it came out that FIFA and Infantino wanted to sell small shares of big events like the men’s and women’s World Cups to private investors. Infantino, who has been FIFA’s president since 2016, hoped to raise over $20 billion this way.
Thrive Capital, a US investment firm owned by Joshua Kushner (brother of Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law), was expected to lead the investor group. But many people criticized the idea. After an emergency meeting on July 30, UEFA’s 55 member countries said they would boycott the World Cup if Infantino went ahead with the plan.
FIFA officials also spoke out. On July 31, Carlos Cordeiro, a top adviser to Infantino, quit and said he couldn’t support selling a stake in the World Cup. Then, in the early hours of August 1, FIFA announced they would scrap the plan.
Now, UEFA has revealed that they have threatened Infantino and Kushner with legal action over the failed sell-off plan. A letter sent to Infantino on July 28, seen by the Telegraph, said UEFA is seriously thinking about taking legal steps and has asked FIFA to keep all related documents and information safe.
UEFA made it clear that destroying or hiding any documents about the plan could lead to serious consequences, including fines or court orders. They also asked Infantino to confirm within five business days that he received the letter, understands it, has preserved the materials, and to name who will oversee this in FIFA.
In short, UEFA is taking a firm stand to protect football’s future and make sure everything is handled properly.