FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been urged to distribute at least $10 million to each of the governing body’s 211 member associations over the next three years from its reserves.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani made the proposal in a letter to Infantino on Friday, saying their analysis showed the amount was a "conservative” estimate of what FIFA could afford to provide each federation.
The two presidents said FIFA was on course to end the 2023-26 cycle with about $6 billion in reserves, arguing that the organization could increase funding to its members without relying on outside investment.
The letter comes amid controversy over Infantino’s proposal to bring private investment into a company that would manage FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups.
Infantino had promised significant increases in development funding for member associations if the private-investment plan moved forward. Ceferin and Montagliani, however, argue that FIFA can afford to provide the additional funding from its existing reserves and does not need to secure private investment first.
"Releasing part of these reserves would demonstrate that MAs should not have to choose between development and good governance; between investment and integrity; or between financial support and the ability to consider proposals on their merits,” they wrote in a letter seen by the Press Association.
"Development is an institutional responsibility of FIFA - not a matter of individual discretion. We therefore propose that our confederations jointly complete this analysis and agree on the amount of FIFA’s reserves that should be released directly to the MAs, with recommendations on disbursements put forward for consideration through FIFA’s proper governance process at the next FIFA Council meeting.”
Ceferin and Montagliani said that even if FIFA released $10 million to each national association, its reserves would still not fall below $1.5 billion at any stage during the 2027-30 cycle.
"Once a clearer picture of FIFA’s financial position at year-end is available, the FIFA Council can determine if a larger distribution is possible, and whether an equivalent distribution should follow in 2031-34,” they said.
The confederation presidents said the funding should be in addition to what FIFA is already committed to distributing to associations through the FIFA Forward program.
Infantino abandoned the private-investment plan Aug. 1 after UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation rejected it. UEFA welcomed FIFA’s withdrawal of the proposal that day.
UEFA has maintained that it has lost confidence in Infantino despite the plan’s withdrawal and says it intends to identify a candidate to challenge him in next year’s presidential election.
On Aug. 27, UEFA called for an independent review of how the private-investment plan was developed. Football Association chair and FIFA Vice President Debbie Hewitt made a similar demand of Infantino earlier this week in her capacity as a member of the FIFA Council.
UEFA has also made legal applications in U.S. courts seeking the disclosure of documents linked to the plan, which FIFA has been given the right to contest.
FIFA has been approached for comment.