UEFA warns FIFA it is considering legal action over World Cup stake sale

UEFA has notified FIFA that it is considering legal action over the governing body's plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.

According to the British daily The Telegraph on Sunday, UEFA recently sent a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino saying it is actively weighing litigation, arbitration and regulatory complaints over the stake sale plan.

UEFA stressed that all documents related to the plan must be preserved, warning that "deleting, modifying or concealing relevant materials could be considered destruction of evidence."

Beyond Infantino, UEFA also called on other senior FIFA officials believed to be involved in the stake sale plan — including Secretary General Mattias Grafström, Global Head of Football Development Arsène Wenger and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour — not to destroy any documents.

FIFA had been pursuing a plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and other major tournaments to private investors. The plan involved establishing a new for-profit entity called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) to manage tournament operations, with the stake sale intended to raise up to $4.2 billion this year.

The stake sale was to be led by Thrive Eternal, a venture capital firm run by Joshua Kushner — brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump — with JPMorgan serving as adviser.

The plan drew widespread outrage across the global football community. UEFA warned late last month that its 55 member associations could boycott the World Cup if FIFA pressed ahead.

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also issued statements expressing strong opposition. Infantino subsequently scrapped the plan, saying it had "created division in football, contrary to the original intention."