FIFA Plans $6.35bn Football Development Fund for 2027–2030

FIFA is proposing to increase its global football development funding to $6.35bn for the 2027–2030 period, more than doubling its existing $2.7bn budget in a move aimed at supporting member associations and football organisations worldwide.

According to a report by BBC Sport on Wednesday, the world football governing body plans to provide an additional $3.4bn from its reserves, with the proposal expected to be considered at Thursday’s FIFA Council meeting.

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FIFA said the proposed increase was made possible by the commercial success of this summer’s World Cup.

The plan comes amid growing pressure on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to provide greater financial support to member associations following criticism of his proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative, which sought to sell stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors.

The proposal faced opposition from several football stakeholders, including UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation.

In September, UEFA and Concacaf reportedly wrote to Infantino, urging FIFA to distribute at least $10m from its cash reserves to each of its 211 member associations.

In a subsequent letter to the six continental confederations, Infantino said he would support “the greatest level of additional funding that can responsibly be delivered”.

Under the latest proposal, each member association would receive $25m, while each of the six continental confederations would be allocated $99m.

The 13 zonal and regional associations would receive $8.25m each, while 100 member associations would be eligible for an additional $1.1m each to support travel and equipment costs.

FIFA also intends to direct a substantial portion of the funding towards infrastructure, women’s football, youth development and other projects.

Under the proposed framework, one-third of the funding would support women’s and youth football development, another third would be allocated to infrastructure with equal access for women’s and youth football, while the remaining third would go towards other development projects.

The eligibility requirements, application procedures, approval processes, disbursement arrangements and auditing rules are expected to be finalised at the FIFA Council’s next meeting in December 2026.

The proposal would then require approval at the 77th FIFA Congress scheduled for 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 investment in member associations.

If approved, the funding increase could provide additional resources for grassroots football, facilities, youth competitions and women’s football, particularly in countries where limited finances have constrained development.

However, the final funding arrangements will depend on approval by FIFA’s governing bodies and the implementation of the proposed distribution framework.