UEFA, CONCACAF seek $10 million FIFA payout to each member association

UEFA and Concacaf have called on FIFA to distribute at least US$10 million from its cash reserves to each of its 211 member associations. The demand is the latest escalation in the wake of Gianni Infantino’s now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.

The letter was signed by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and Concacaf President Victor Montagliani. They argued that FIFA is expected to end the 2023-26 cycle with around $6 billion in reserves, which they say is significantly more than the organization needs for the 2030 men’s World Cup.

“FIFA currently holds billions of dollars in accumulated reserves,” the letter said. “These resources belong to football and exist to serve the game and its 211 member associations.”

Ceferin and Montagliani called for at least $10 million to be given to each member association during the 2027-30 cycle. According to them, the money should go to infrastructure and football development.

The proposed one-off distribution would cost FIFA approximately US$2.11 billion and would be above and beyond normal funding for member associations.

The demand follows strong opposition to Infantino’s FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, which was scrapped just four days after its unveiling. The proposal included the creation of a new company to manage the commercial and ticketing rights for FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, with a 21 percent stake that could be sold to an investment company.

UEFA, CONCACAF QUESTION FIFA PLAN

Infantino told FIFA members they could receive US$40 million if they supported the proposal, with federations given until September 19 to accept plans to raise the initial US$20 million.

But UEFA and Concacaf said their analysis of FIFA’s published financial statements and budgets raised questions about whether the new structure was really necessary to increase funding.

Both confederations said their assessment was “deliberately conservative” and called for an independent audit of FIFA’s finances with access to underlying data and assumptions.

“Development is FIFA’s institutional responsibility, not a matter of individual discretion,” they wrote.

PRESSURE IS BUILDING ON INFANTINO

A letter was also sent to the presidents of other FIFA confederations asking for their support for the proposed distribution from the reserves.

The development comes a day after Football Association president Debbie Hewitt wrote to Infantino and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom demanding the release of documents linked to FIFA’s Forward Enterprise plan.

Hewitt, who is also a FIFA vice-president, also called for a written explanation of the overturned suspension of United States striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup.

Infantino has been asked to make the relevant documents available before the next FIFA Council meeting on October 15. He is also set to run for a fourth term as FIFA president in March, with potential challengers having until November 18 to propose an alternative candidate.

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Issued by:

Debodinna Chakraborty

Published on:

19 Sep 2026 08:54 IST