Fifa intends to put an additional $3.4bn (£2.6bn) toward football development worldwide, according to BBC reporting. The governing body says the money would come out of its reserves and would lift its planned distribution funding for the 2027-2030 period to more than twice its current level.
The BBC reports that Fifa credits the commercial performance of this summer's World Cup for giving it room to release the extra funds. The proposal is due to go before Fifa's council at a meeting on Thursday.
The move lands while the organisation is dealing with fallout from a shelved plan championed by its president, Gianni Infantino. Under that proposal, known as Fifa Forward Enterprise, stakes in the World Cup and other competitions would have been sold to private investors. The idea drew heavy criticism, and Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation all raised questions about Infantino's position, according to the BBC.
Why it matters
The sums involved are large enough to change what national associations can plan for. Fifa had already budgeted $2.7bn (£2.05bn) for the 2027-2030 cycle, to be shared among all 211 member associations, the continental confederations, regional bodies and some organisations not affiliated with Fifa. The new proposal would raise total football development spending for that cycle to $6.35bn (£4.83bn).
The BBC reports the extra funding would place particular emphasis on women's and youth football. It would also come with conditions covering who qualifies, how associations apply, how requests are approved, how money is paid out, and what controls and audits apply. Those terms are not settled yet: the BBC says the Fifa council is expected to finalise the full plan at its next meeting in December 2026.
Pressure from the confederations
The timing follows direct pressure from two of Fifa's regional bodies. In September, Uefa and Concacaf wrote to Infantino asking Fifa to release at least $10m (£7.5m) to each of its 211 member associations from its cash reserves, the BBC reports.
Infantino then wrote to Fifa's six continental confederations, saying he would back "the greatest level of additional funding that can responsibly be delivered," according to the BBC. He is standing for a fourth term as president in March 2027.
The BBC also reports that the proposal includes $1.1m (£836,000) for 100 member associations to cover travel and equipment solidarity. A third of the funding would go to infrastructure, with equal access guaranteed for women's and youth football.
What to watch
Thursday's council meeting will show whether the confederations that challenged Infantino accept the package as sufficient, and December's meeting will determine the rules that govern how the money actually reaches associations.
