Rui Pinto lawyers hold UK cooperation talks after Serious Fraud Office contact

Lawyers for Football Leaks founder Rui Pinto are in talks with British authorities over a possible agreement to assist investigations into financial and sporting crime, the Guardian reported on Tuesday. The newspaper said the Serious Fraud Office had contacted Pinto after he indicated that he was willing to cooperate in exchange for protection. No completed agreement was reported.

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Pinto's lawyer, William Bourdon, confirmed to the Guardian that contact had been established and that a process was under way, but did not disclose further details. Any future role for Pinto would depend on an agreement being reached. The report said his information could potentially assist investigations involving football, law firms and business figures, including the identification of possible tax offences and other irregularities.

According to the Guardian, Pinto collected tens of millions of files between 2015 and 2019. His disclosures included information about Cristiano Ronaldo's tax affairs, proposals for a breakaway European Super League and financial arrangements within football. The newspaper reported that material he revealed prompted investigations and contributed to legal proceedings involving players and clubs in several countries.

The talks come while the 38-year-old challenges the termination of his protection in Portugal. The Guardian reported that he was informed on 30 September that the arrangement would end after six years. Although Portuguese authorities maintained there was no threat to his life, he was advised to avoid crowded places, refrain from commenting on controversial subjects and reduce time spent with relatives.

The decision to end protection had been taken in July, but Pinto received only 10 days' notice, according to the report. Its implementation was suspended after it emerged that he had not been given an opportunity to challenge or appeal it. He subsequently appealed and is awaiting a final ruling, leaving his longer-term protection arrangements unresolved as the British discussions proceed.

Pinto's own legal proceedings also remain part of the background. He received a suspended four-year prison sentence in Portugal in 2023 for attempted extortion and cybercrime offences. He was acquitted in a separate case involving similar charges in 2025, but prosecutors and Benfica appealed that ruling. The Guardian reported that a higher-court decision on that case is still awaited.