Infantino opponents seek $10m payout for all nations

By the Editorial Team · Saturday, September 19, 2026

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and Concacaf President Victor Montagliani have proposed that FIFA distribute a one-time payment of at least $10 million to each of its 211 member associations from its financial reserves during the 2027-2030 cycle. Their proposal aims to increase funding for football development without compromising FIFA’s financial stability and comes ahead of the FIFA Council meeting amid ongoing scrutiny of President Gianni Infantino’s leadership.

The presidents of Uefa and Concacaf have jointly urged Fifa to distribute significant funds from its substantial financial reserves to all member associations, challenging the necessity of the existing Fifa Forward Enterprise funding scheme. In a letter sent ahead of the scheduled Fifa Council meeting on October 15, Aleksander Ceferin and Victor Montagliani proposed a one-time payment of at least $10 million to each of Fifa’s 211 member associations during the 2027-2030 commercial cycle.

The proposal, aimed at bolstering investment in football infrastructure and development, would be paid in addition to the ongoing commitments under Fifa’s current Fifa Forward programme, which disbursed approximately $8 million to each member association over the last four-year cycle. Ceferin and Montagliani have called for an independent review of Fifa’s financial status to provide clarity and ensure transparent allocation of the reserves.

In a separate communication, Ceferin and Montagliani have reached out to heads of other continental confederations—including the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Confederation of African Football (CAF), Conmebol, and Oceania Football Confederation—seeking their support for the initiative. Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, AFC president, is reportedly inclined to endorse the plan.

The letter to Fifa president Gianni Infantino emphasizes that the proposed disbursement, totaling about $2.1 billion, would leave the organization’s reserves above $1.5 billion even after the distribution. The authors suggest that this level of payout would not strain Fifa’s finances and that additional funds might be allocated later once the year-end financial position is fully assessed.

Ceferin and Montagliani argue that Fifa has the capacity to increase financial support to member associations without selling stakes in its competitions or imposing additional conditions on those organizations. This stance comes amid scrutiny of Infantino’s leadership, as the October session marks his first appearance before the Fifa Council since controversies emerged surrounding his tenure.

Fifa has been contacted for comment but has not issued a response.

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