UEFA warns of destruction of evidence regarding Infantino’s failed plan to privatize World Cup rights

Infantino retracted his secret proposal on Saturday, which would have brought $4.2 billion from investors including Joshua Kushner’s investment firm in New York, just days after the plan was revealed in media reports that sparked global uproar.

UEFA, whose members comprise 55 countries, led a wave of protests against Infantino and announced last Thursday that it would boycott FIFA tournaments for as long as the investment proposal remained in effect.

The Associated Press reported on Monday that it had obtained a letter received from a New York law firm last Friday.

The letter stated, “You are hereby formally notified by UEFA that any destruction, deletion, alteration, concealment, or loss of the requested materials after receipt of this notice, or after any prior date when you were, or should have been, aware that legal action was anticipated, will constitute spoliation of evidence.”

Infantino enjoys strong support from the African continent, as well as from CONMEBOL (the South American Football Confederation), which relies on the FIFA president to increase the number of teams in the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64. This would give Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay—home to CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez—the opportunity to host as many matches as possible in the next edition of the World Cup.

Infantino’s investment plan triggered a major upheaval regarding his future, after he had been expected to be re-elected unopposed for a fourth and final term extending to 2031 in March 2027.

The FIFA president had been preparing to take up a position as a commissioner in the new investment entity after his term ends in 2031, with an annual salary significantly higher than his current $6 million, in addition to his compensation as head of the international federation.

FIFA announced during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers that Infantino had secured support from approximately 200 of the 211 national associations. It was expected that some countries would withdraw their backing, with Wales being the first to announce its withdrawal on Monday.

The deadline for nominations for the presidency of the international football governing body is set for November 18, with elections to be held four months later in Morocco, one of Infantino’s strongest allies, which is preparing to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.