FIFA Proposes $25 Million for Each National Federation

FIFA is preparing to propose an unprecedented financial plan that would distribute more than $6 billion to national and continental federations during the fiscal cycle from 2027 to 2030, a move that would double the allocations previously earmarked for the development of football worldwide, just months before the presidential elections in which Gianni Infantino is seeking to retain his position. According to The Athletic, the anticipated proposal, which was presented to the FIFA Council, includes raising the financial allocation for each national federation to $25 million over four years, an increase of $15 million over the previously planned amount of $10 million, alongside allocating $99 million to each of the six continental confederations during the same period. The plan is based on the unprecedented commercial success of the 2026 World Cup finals, featuring 48 national teams, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, after the tournament’s revenues reached approximately $15 billion, surpassing initial expectations of $11 billion, which were later revised upward to $13 billion. To fund this substantial increase, FIFA intends to withdraw more than $3.5 billion from its financial reserves, while maintaining a cash reserve of $1.7 billion, according to a source familiar with the proposal’s details, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to lacking authorization to speak publicly. The proposal represents a significant shift in the level of funding received by national federations since Infantino assumed the FIFA presidency in 2016, when each federation’s allocation was $1 million, before gradually rising to $25 million in the upcoming cycle, should the new plan be approved.