UEFA and CONCACAF chiefs have urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to release around $2.1 billion from the governing body's reserves, calling for each of its 211 member associations to receive $10 million over the 2027-30 cycle. The demand comes amid tensions over Infantino's proposed sale of a stake in the World Cup to private investors, which was shelved after a backlash from European football.
Two continental football federations, UEFA and CONCACAF, on Friday called on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to release around $2.1 billion from the global governing body's reserves to share among its 211 member associations.
A letter sent to Infantino by European football chief Aleksander Ceferin and his counterpart at the North and Central American and Caribbean body, Victor Montagliani, said each of FIFA's member associations (MAs) should receive $10 million in the four years between 2027-2030.
The move is the latest twist in the civil war which erupted in world football after it emerged Infantino sought to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors.
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The incendiary proposal was short-lived after a fierce backlash across the sport, with European governing body UEFA threatening to boycott all FIFA competitions until the plan was shelved.
Infantino has said the venture was designed to raise capital for football across the world.
But Ceferin and Montagliani's letter, sent on Friday and obtained by AFP, said FIFA's vast cash reserves – estimated at around $6 billion – could be used to boost funding for the sport without outside investment.
"FIFA already has the capacity to deliver substantially more to its MAs from its own balance sheet – without any sale of interests in its competitions, and without asking anything of the MAs in return," the letter read.
"Our analysis indicates that FIFA should make at least $10 million available to each of its 211 MAs over the 2027-30 cycle for investment in infrastructure and football development – an aggregate of approximately USD 2.1 billion," it added.
The letter said the "one-off" release of funds would be in addition to the annual development funding already distributed to FIFA members, which under Infantino has increased to $8 million per country over a four-year cycle.
The UEFA and CONCACAF letter said they would issue recommendations for disbursements at the next FIFA Council meeting.
The letter comes a day after England's Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt wrote to Infantino requesting a full disclosure of information relating to the ill-fated private equity plan.
Hewitt has also called for the release of documents relating to the decision to suspend a ban handed to United States striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup, which followed a phone call from US President Donald Trump to Infantino.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
