FIFA Subsidaries Lose Court Bid To Block UEFA Probe

Gianni Infantino has faced a prolonged power struggle since taking charge of global soccer, and that conflict reached a new legal milestone in New York. On Thursday, a federal judge in Manhattan denied motions from two FIFA subsidiaries to stop UEFA from gathering evidence about the failed FIFA Forward Enterprise plan.

The dispute traces back to July 2026, when FIFA announced a secret deal with Joshua Kushner’s investment firm Thrive. The plan called for investors to pay $4.2 billion for a permanent stake of more than 20% in a new subsidiary that would manage the World Cup and other tournaments. The 211 member federations of FIFA were offered $20 million each to approve the project, but global backlash forced the cancellation within days.

UEFA filed court documents in August 2026 as part of a wider strategy to remove Infantino as president. That effort includes a potential criminal complaint against him personally in Switzerland for alleged financial mismanagement. UEFA lawyers are seeking discovery of evidence from Thrive and FIFA advisors JP Morgan regarding the deal.

Two FIFA subsidiaries moved to intervene in the Manhattan proceedings. Judge Jeannette Vargas of the district court of the Southern District of New York rejected the motions in an eight-page document. She wrote that the entities do not have a direct, substantial and legally protectable interest in the case.

The ruling noted that nothing in the record indicates the US FIFA parties, or FIFA itself, will be parties in the contemplated criminal proceedings. Vargas added that the US FIFA parties have not alleged facts suggesting they would be defendants in such a proceeding.

The fallout from the investor plan has created the biggest crisis for Infantino in his near 11-year presidency. He plans to stand for reelection in March 2027. FIFA’s cash reserves rose to more than $5 billion after the men’s World Cup co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico ended in July 2026.