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UEFA has taken its fight with FIFA across the Atlantic, filing discovery requests in US federal courts to pry open the details of a secretive plan to sell off a chunk of the World Cup’s commercial rights. The filing, submitted on August 27, targets not just FIFA but also Thrive Capital, venture capitalist Joshua Kushner, and former Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei.
The goal: gather evidence for criminal complaints UEFA intends to file in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino and his associates.
The deal that sparked the war
The conflict traces back to July 28, when FIFA unveiled a proposal to create a subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise, or FFE, that would hold the organization’s commercial rights. The plan called for selling a substantial minority stake in FFE for $4.2 billion, implying a total valuation of roughly $20 billion for the entity. UEFA characterized this valuation as “absurdly low.”
UEFA’s 55 member associations reacted with something between outrage and disbelief. Multiple associations threatened to boycott FIFA events entirely if the plan moved forward. By August 1, just four days after it surfaced, FIFA withdrew the proposal.
But for UEFA, pulling the plug wasn’t enough. The organization wants to understand how the deal was structured, who stood to benefit, and whether Infantino’s actions constituted a breach of fiduciary duty or worse.
Why New York, and why these names
UEFA chose to file in New York for a practical reason: that’s where the money and the people behind the deal are based. Thrive Capital, the venture firm founded by Joshua Kushner, was apparently positioned as a potential buyer of the FFE stake. Greg Maffei, who stepped down as Liberty Media’s CEO, was also named in the filing as an associated individual.
The ex parte applications, a legal mechanism that allows one party to seek court action without initially notifying the other side, are specifically designed to preserve evidence. UEFA is essentially using US discovery rules, which are far more expansive than what’s available in most European jurisdictions, to build its case before bringing criminal complaints in Swiss courts.
By seeking discovery in New York, UEFA can potentially access internal communications between FIFA officials and the prospective investors, financial models and valuation methodologies used to arrive at the $20 billion figure, term sheets or draft agreements related to the FFE stake sale, and any side arrangements or incentive structures tied to the deal.
What UEFA is really after
The substance of UEFA’s complaint centers on governance. UEFA’s position is that Infantino pursued the FFE deal without proper authorization, adequate transparency, or sufficient regard for the interests of member associations that generate much of the revenue FIFA redistributes.
The $20 billion valuation is the sharpest point of contention. FIFA’s commercial portfolio includes the men’s and women’s World Cups, the Club World Cup, and a range of other competitions and licensing deals. UEFA believes the true value of these assets far exceeds the figure Infantino’s team attached to them, raising questions about whether the proposed sale would have enriched certain parties at the expense of global football.
The bigger picture for global football
UEFA’s 55 member associations represent the wealthiest and most commercially developed football markets on the planet. When these federations collectively threatened to boycott FIFA events over the FFE proposal, it was not an empty gesture. FIFA itself is governed by a network of 211 member associations and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, where UEFA intends to file its criminal complaints.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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