Former UEFA President, Michel Platini, has commenced criminal and civil proceedings against FIFA and its President, Gianni Infantino, over the 2015 corruption allegations which he says destroyed his bid to lead world football’s governing body.
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Platini, a former France captain and one-time favourite to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA President, filed a criminal complaint before French courts accusing Infantino and some former FIFA officials of malicious prosecution, false accusation and influence peddling.
The complaint also names former FIFA Legal Director, Marco Villiger, and former FIFA Audit Committee Chairman, Domenico Scala, among others.
In a separate civil lawsuit, Platini, 70, is seeking financial compensation from FIFA over what he alleges was a coordinated effort to block him from becoming FIFA President.
Platini served as UEFA President from 2008 to 2015 and was widely regarded as the leading candidate to replace Blatter in 2016.
However, his ambition collapsed after he and Blatter became embroiled in allegations of fraud and corruption over a payment of 2 million Swiss francs made to Platini in 2011.
The payment, reportedly authorised by Blatter, became the subject of FIFA ethics proceedings and later criminal investigations.
The scandal forced Blatter to resign and ended Platini’s hopes of taking over FIFA. Platini was also banned for eight years by FIFA’s Ethics Committee, although the sanction was later reduced to four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Infantino, who had served as UEFA General Secretary under Platini, later emerged as a surprise candidate and was elected FIFA President in 2016.
Platini and Blatter were later charged in Switzerland over the payment but were acquitted. A Swiss federal criminal appeals court again cleared them of corruption in March 2025.
Platini now alleges that the 2015 case was part of a wider conspiracy to remove him from the race for FIFA’s presidency and clear the way for Infantino.
According to a statement from Platini’s camp, lawyers in Paris have been asked to file a criminal complaint against Infantino and five other Swiss football and prosecution officials.
The complaint reportedly includes allegations of false accusation and influence peddling.
Among those also named is Michael Lauber, who was Switzerland’s Attorney-General in 2015.
Platini’s lawyers are also pursuing a civil claim for damages against FIFA, alleging that the proceedings and sanctions imposed on him caused serious financial, professional and reputational harm.
The fresh legal action comes days before Infantino is expected to open the FIFA World Cup in North America.
FIFA has reportedly been asked to comment on Platini’s latest legal complaints.
The case reopens one of the most controversial chapters in modern football politics, raising fresh questions about the circumstances that ended Platini’s FIFA presidential ambition and reshaped the leadership of world football.
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