UEFA and Concacaf Urge FIFA to Release $2.11bn to Member Nations
UEFA and Concacaf have jointly urged FIFA to unlock $2.11bn from its reserves for its 211 member associations, escalating pressure on president Gianni Infantino ahead of key Council and election dates.
Confederations demand reserve release
Aleksander Ceferin and Victor Montagliani have called for a one-off distribution during the 2027-30 funding cycle, with the money earmarked for football facilities and development projects across every national association.
- FIFA is projected to finish the 2023-26 period with reserves of about $6bn (£4.5bn).
- UEFA and Concacaf argue that total is far above what FIFA needs to operate through the 2030 men’s World Cup.
- They want $2.11bn released from those reserves and shared among all 211 FIFA members.
- The proposed payment is intended for infrastructure and wider football-development investment.
The intervention follows the failure of Infantino’s private-equity FFE proposal and represents a direct challenge from two of FIFA’s six confederations.
Call for independent financial scrutiny
The two confederations also want an external examination of FIFA’s financial position. Their proposal is for an independent reviewer to receive complete access to the assumptions and figures behind the governing body’s forecasts.
UEFA and Concacaf have contacted the AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL and the OFC in an attempt to assemble wider support for the push. Their case is that FIFA’s financial decisions should be subject to meaningful member oversight rather than being controlled centrally.
Hewitt seeks FFE papers and Balogun explanation
Debbie Hewitt, the Football Association chair and a FIFA vice-president, has separately written to Infantino and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom over the abandoned FFE plan.
- Hewitt has requested the immediate release to the FIFA Council of every document connected to the failed proposal.
- She has also asked for a written account of why Folarin Balogun’s World Cup suspension was withdrawn.
- The USA forward’s case has added to questions being raised inside FIFA’s senior decision-making structure.
What happens next
FIFA’s next Council meeting is set for October 15, when the mounting demands for disclosure and reserve redistribution will be under sharp focus.
Infantino, 56, is due to seek a fourth term in March. Any challenger must declare by November 18, and the coordinated stance from UEFA and Concacaf points to stronger resistance than he has encountered in previous election campaigns.
