FIFA President Gianni Infantino has instructed a review of proposals to distribute more funds to national football associations, following requests from UEFA and CONCACAF. The review will be presented to the FIFA Council on October 15. Infantino stated that any additional financing will be subject to financial scrutiny and formal approval. He emphasized that until the evaluation is complete and necessary approvals are obtained, no preliminary figures can be considered a committed obligation to member associations.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin and CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani had proposed that each of the 211 FIFA member associations receive at least $10 million during the 2027-2030 cycle, in addition to existing development funding. They also called for an independent review of FIFA's reserves, which are expected to reach around $6 billion by the end of 2026. The proposed distribution would keep reserves above $1.5 billion throughout the next cycle.
Infantino defended the commercial proposal that was withdrawn, stating it would have provided more funding for football than what FIFA can currently distribute from its resources. He explained that the withdrawn proposal aimed to enable FIFA to invest more in football, not replace support from existing resources. Instead, it would have added to it. The withdrawn proposal was abandoned in July due to opposition from continental associations, including UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation.
The opposition cited a lack of consultation, and the dispute raised calls for changes to FIFA's governance. Infantino revealed that FIFA's management was already exploring ways to provide more development and solidarity funding before receiving proposals from continental associations. He requested that the presidents of continental associations send their financial models, assumptions, and supporting information to the Secretary General.
Infantino emphasized that the evaluation will consider the support of continental associations facing verifiable structural costs. He stated that he will support the highest level of additional funding that can be responsibly provided through FIFA's proper governance process. This process must be fair, transparent, and subject to audit. Infantino also renewed his call for proposals to strengthen FIFA's decision-making mechanisms.
Infantino urged the presidents of continental associations to respect decisions made through established institutional procedures. He noted that trust is not about the absence of disagreement but about engaging in direct consultation, testing proposals against facts, and respecting decisions made through democratic and institutional processes. This approach is essential even when the outcome differs from individual preferences.
The review of funding proposals and potential changes to FIFA's governance are being closely watched by the football community. The organization's decisions will impact the distribution of funds to national associations and the future of football development globally. Key stakeholders will be monitoring the outcome of the review and the implementation of any new measures.
Key points
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino has ordered a review of proposals to distribute more funds to national football associations.
- The review will be presented to the FIFA Council on October 15.
- The proposals aim to provide more funding for football development and solidarity.
