Michel Platini is going on offense. The former UEFA president filed criminal and civil complaints in Paris against FIFA President Gianni Infantino and several former FIFA officials, alleging they conspired to torpedo his bid for the FIFA presidency back in 2015.
The filings, lodged around June 8-9, land just ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
What Platini is alleging
The criminal complaint targets Infantino and focuses on alleged conspiracy involving malicious prosecution and influence peddling. Platini’s civil lawsuit seeks damages from FIFA itself, claiming the organization actively worked to prevent him from winning the 2015 presidential election.
At the center of everything sits a familiar number: 2 million Swiss francs, roughly $2.51 million. That payment, authorized by then-FIFA president Sepp Blatter and received by Platini, surfaced during the sweeping 2015 FIFA corruption scandal and effectively ended Platini’s presidential ambitions. He was suspended from football activities, clearing the path for Infantino’s eventual election.
