UEFA and CONCACAF Demand $10m Payout for Every FIFA Member Association

LONDON, England — European and North American football leaders have intensified pressure on FIFA by calling for an independent review of the world governing body’s financial reserves and proposing a major payout to all 211 member associations.

In a letter addressed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani have demanded that at least $10 million be made available to every member association during the 2027-30 cycle. The total distribution would amount to approximately $2.1 billion.

The proposed one-off payment would come in addition to existing funding under the FIFA Forward Programme.

Ceferin and Montagliani argued that FIFA is on course to end the current 2023-26 cycle with reserves of around $6 billion — the largest in its history. They said the organisation already has the financial capacity to distribute substantially more money directly to national associations from its own balance sheet.

“Our analysis now raises an important question as to whether the proposed transaction was necessary to deliver greater resources to the MAs,” the letter stated, referring to the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise project. That plan had envisaged selling stakes in FIFA competitions to outside investors but was dropped after widespread opposition.

Even after releasing $2.1 billion, the two confederation presidents said FIFA’s reserves would not fall below approximately $1.5 billion at any point in the next cycle — still 50 percent higher than the minimum level FIFA itself had budgeted for the current period.

They described their analysis as preliminary and called for a full independent review with complete access to underlying figures and assumptions before any recommendations are put to the FIFA Council.

“Development is an institutional responsibility of FIFA – not a matter of individual discretion,” the letter said.

Ceferin and Montagliani indicated they would seek support from the presidents of the other four continental confederations and push for the proposal to be considered at the next FIFA Council meeting.

The move is the latest sign of growing tension between Infantino and senior figures in the global game following the collapse of the Forward Enterprise plan. FIFA has not yet responded to the letter.