By Teddy Nwanunobi
Following pressure from UEFA and Concacaf, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, has said huge cash payouts will be distributed to FIFA’s 211 member associations from its estimated £4.4billion cash reserves.
According to the BBC, a letter to that effect was sent to the international governing body’s six continental confederations on Monday.
Infantino said that he would support the highest level of additional funding that could be funded responsibly.
His comments came after UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin, and CONCACAF President, Victor Montagliani, called on FIFA earlier this month to allocate $10 million (£7.5 million) to each of FIFA’s 211 member associations from its reserves.
The proposed payments would amount to about $2.1 billion if approved. The proposal is expected to be considered by the FIFA Council on October 15.
However, Infantino said he would not commit to a specific amount, adding that a single figure could start discussions, but could not determine a global funding policy.
Infantino wrote in the letter, “I will not prejudge the amount. I will support the greatest level of additional funding that can responsibly be delivered through Fifa’s proper governance process, applied fairly and supported by transparent and auditable arrangements. The ambition is welcome. The financial evidence, governance, and implementation must now support it.
“A single figure can begin the discussion, but it cannot complete a global policy. I have therefore instructed the Secretary General to consolidate all submissions into one integrated assessment for consideration by the FIFA Council on 15 October 2026.”
The development followed Infantino’s controversy over FIFA’s abandoned Forward Enterprise Plan on selling its stakes in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private bodies.
The move led to legal proceedings and calls for his resignation from football bodies and officials.
In his latest defence, Infantino said the move was intended to generate additional revenue for the governing body to invest in football.
“The recent commercial proposal, now withdrawn, was intended to enable Fifa to invest more in football, not to replace support that could responsibly be provided from existing resources,” Infantino stated.