Gianni Infantino faces fresh pressure as UEFA seeks FIFA project records

Gianni Infantino is facing renewed pressure over plans to create a commercial structure that would bring private investors into future FIFA competitions, with UEFA and several domestic football associations moving to oppose the proposal.

The FIFA president’s position has come under scrutiny following the latest developments, which centre on the proposed sale of part of the World Cup and what has been described as the “FIFA Forward project” scandal.

A lengthy report published by Foot Mercato says Infantino could leave his position in the coming months because of the controversy surrounding the project. The report focuses on the growing challenge to the FIFA president and the possible consequences of the measures now being pursued by UEFA.

UEFA has already forced Infantino to abandon his plan to establish a commercial framework designed to attract private-sector investment into FIFA’s future competitions. The European governing body has now opened a new front by demanding the immediate preservation of all documents connected with the proposal.

That request raises the seriousness of the dispute. UEFA is no longer presenting the matter solely as a disagreement over strategy or governance. Its latest action is being interpreted as a possible step towards legal proceedings, arbitration and regulatory complaints.

In a formal notice sent to FIFA, UEFA has called for the retention of emails, electronic documents, internal communications, financial proposals and records linked to potential investors. It has also requested that all digitally stored information that could shed light on the origins of the FIFA Forward project and the preparations for it be preserved.

The demand covers material that may help establish how the project was conceived, developed and presented. It also includes communications and documents involving the investors considered in connection with the proposed commercial structure.

The dispute places Infantino in an increasingly difficult position as opposition to the plan expands beyond UEFA. A number of domestic football associations are also reported to be acting against the project, seeking to prevent the sale of part of the World Cup and challenge the direction being taken by FIFA.

The preservation request does not itself confirm that legal or regulatory action will follow. However, UEFA’s insistence that FIFA retain the relevant records marks a significant escalation in the conflict and suggests that the issue could move beyond internal football politics.

The latest developments have revived comparisons with the “FIFA Gate” era, with the focus now turning to the digital record of the project and the evidence contained in electronic correspondence and stored documents.

Infantino’s future could therefore become a central issue in the months ahead. According to Foot Mercato, the controversy surrounding the FIFA Forward project has raised the possibility of his departure, while UEFA’s actions indicate that the dispute over FIFA’s plans is far from settled.