UEFA legal case over World Cup sale puts Infantino under pressure as Trump alliance cools

The net around Gianni Infantino is tightening. The discovery order connected to FIFA's failed attempt to sell World Cup rights has started to worry people close to power, starting with Donald Trump's inner circle. What looked for weeks like another media storm has turned into a legal threat with real power to shake the foundations of world football's governing body.

• UEFA has filed a lawsuit accusing FIFA and Infantino of criminal mismanagement over the alleged undervaluing of the World Cup sale.
• Investor Josh Kushner, tied to the FIFA Forward project, says he would not have taken part had he known the full picture.
• Trump offered lukewarm backing for Infantino in August and has distanced himself since.
• FIFA has hired a high-profile lawyer and called the case a smear campaign while trying to block document discovery.
• The discovery process could expose emails and internal memos that FIFA's leadership does not want revealed.

What UEFA wants from the FIFA World Cup sale lawsuit

UEFA's lawsuit is not a symbolic gesture. The European body wants FIFA, Thrive Capital and Trump-linked adviser Greg Maffei to hand over internal documents from the period when Infantino enjoyed privileged access to the halls of power. Emails, memos and messages sent from a phone after lunch on the golf course could now come to light.

The central accusation is that the World Cup rights sale went through at a price far below market value. Add to that the substantial personal salary Infantino allegedly stood to gain from the deal. UEFA may not expect a decisive victory, but it has made a chess move that forces the king to expose himself.

Josh Kushner steps away from the FIFA Forward project

Josh Kushner's reaction has been the first public sign that people close to American power are starting to distance themselves. The brother of the president's son-in-law said he would not have gotten involved in FIFA's plans had he known the complete picture, calling the episode regrettable.

Kushner has hired Alex Spiro, a lawyer used to defending extreme causes for figures like Elon Musk and Alec Baldwin. It is not a casual choice: with a real possibility that discovery could surface damaging documents, Kushner has opted for aggressive legal armor.

FIFA fights back with an elite lawyer and smear campaign claims

FIFA's response reveals just how rattled it is. Its counter-filing dismisses the entire affair as a smear campaign, while at the same time expressing an urgent intention to resist discovery. Nobody on Infantino's side wants those documents shared.

The fear is understandable. Discovery means handing over everything from internal memos to emails sent from a phone during informal moments. For someone whose power has been built on discretion, opening that box is far more dangerous than any newspaper column or public denouncement.

Donald Trump's backing turns cold

When Trump posted his supportive messages about Infantino in August, the tone already sounded conditional. The president suggested that if FIFA got rid of the executive for any reason, the consequences would be bad. But there has been nothing since. No gestures, no calls, no fresh displays of affection.

Trump will walk you in, remember your name and glad-hand you by the stairwell. But once you're gone you really are gone. There is no loyalty.

Recent history shows a clear pattern: Trump allies who fall from grace tend to end up facing legal troubles, exile or revoked privileges. Michael Cohen, the man who once said he would take a bullet for him, ended up imprisoned, disbarred and sent into exile. Former attorney general Jeff Sessions went from movement leader to being described by Trump in terms too harsh to repeat.

Infantino's growing isolation and the battle for votes

Infantino is trying to keep moving. Saudi Arabia has offered qualified backing, with a cautious "at this time". A FIFA congress is scheduled for November, but the question is whether votes will be enough or whether real power is decided outside the ballot box.

The cases of Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini still linger in football's memory. That illegal payment allegation came out of nowhere and ended two seemingly untouchable careers. UEFA does not need to win in court: it just needs to keep the pressure on, rake the coals and see what falls out. The next revelation could come from anywhere.

FAQ about the legal case against Infantino