FIFA has proposed increasing its global football development funding to $6.35bn for the 2027–2030 period, representing an additional $3.4bn for member associations and other football organisations.
According to BBC Sport on Wednesday, the world football governing body plans to draw on its reserves to more than double its initial development budget, citing the commercial success of this summer’s World Cup.
The proposal is expected to be considered by the FIFA Council on Thursday, amid mounting pressure on president Gianni Infantino over his proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, which sought to attract private investment through stakes in the World Cup and other competitions.
The plan faced opposition from several stakeholders, including UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation. In September, UEFA and Concacaf urged Infantino to allocate at least $10m from FIFA’s reserves to each of its 211 member associations.
Under the latest proposal, each member association would receive $25m, while the six continental confederations would get $99m each. The 13 zonal and regional associations would receive $8.25m apiece, while 100 member associations would qualify for an additional $1.1m each for travel and equipment.
The funding would prioritise infrastructure, women’s football, youth development and other projects. One-third would support women’s and youth football, another third would fund infrastructure with equal access for women’s and youth football, while the remaining portion would be allocated to projects.
FIFA’s eligibility rules, application procedures, approval processes, disbursement arrangements and audit requirements are expected to be finalised at the Council’s December 2026 meeting.
The proposal would then require approval at the 77th FIFA Congress in March 2027.
Infantino, who is expected to seek a fourth term as FIFA president in March 2027, has faced increasing calls from football administrators for greater financial assistance to member associations.
If approved, the funding increase could expand investment in facilities, grassroots programmes and youth competitions, particularly in countries facing financial constraints. However, implementation will depend on approval by FIFA’s governing bodies.
