• UEFA has requested U.S. court permission to gather evidence against FIFA President Infantino.
• The organization is preparing a criminal complaint in Switzerland related to World Cup rights.
• Allegations include bypassing FIFA's governance processes in developing the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan.

UEFA has filed a request with a U.S. federal court to obtain evidence from FIFA entities based in Florida for a planned criminal complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino concerning a now-abandoned strategy to transfer World Cup commercial rights to a new subsidiary known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The court filing claims this plan was developed secretly, avoiding proper governance processes, which may involve other FIFA officials and advisors as well, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.

The European governing body for football is contemplating legal action due to allegations of "criminal mismanagement" by Infantino under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code. UEFA claims that Infantino's actions were not only secretive but also lacked appropriate consultation with FIFA's councils and members, as detailed in filings referenced by Le Monde and Al Jazeera.

UEFA's filing outlines their request for documents from FIFA (AMERICAS), Inc. and FWC2026 US, Inc., which they believe may contain critical information regarding the FFE's conception, structuring, and approval. Among the evidence sought is documentation from key meetings where FIFA officials were reportedly informed of the FFE plan. The inquiry highlights a previously held meeting in New York involving FIFA directors, some of whom opposed the proposal, according to reports by Reuters and Le Monde.