UEFA has initiated a legal process in a US federal court, seeking permission to obtain testimony and documents from FIFA entities based in Florida. This move is in preparation for a planned criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino and potentially other officials.

The European football governing body is considering criminal proceedings related to a now-abandoned proposal to transfer commercial rights for major FIFA competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup, into a new subsidiary named FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).

According to a court filing, UEFA stated it is "actively considering legal action arising out of and in connection with the … plan proposed by FIFA." The complaint, which UEFA and other interested parties intend to bring in Switzerland, would target "criminal mismanagement" under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code.

UEFA alleges that Infantino developed the FFE proposal in secrecy with a small group of advisers and investors, bypassing FIFA's standard governance procedures. The plan allegedly failed to include consultation with the FIFA Council, regional confederations, or member associations.

The US court filing specifically asks for authorization to conduct discovery from two Florida-based FIFA entities: FIFA (AMERICAS), Inc. and FWC2026 US, Inc. UEFA contends that these organizations may hold relevant documents and witnesses pertaining to the conception, structuring, valuation, and approval of the FFE transaction.

This legal action by UEFA comes amidst ongoing scrutiny of FIFA's governance under President Infantino. Previous reports indicated that UEFA was considering a boycott of FIFA events over the FFE plan before assurances were given that the proposal would be abandoned. The European Leagues chief has also publicly stated that Infantino's influence has "grown from year to year."

FIFA's presidency has faced challenges, including the FFE plan, which had been a point of contention. The source material also notes that Saudi Arabia's football federation has publicly backed Infantino amidst FIFA crises, and the Italian Football Federation has withdrawn support for Infantino's initiatives on international competitions.

FIFA has not yet publicly commented on UEFA's latest legal move in the US. The outcome of UEFA's request in the Florida court could provide crucial evidence for the planned criminal complaint in Switzerland, potentially shedding further light on the decision-making processes within FIFA regarding commercial rights.