Embattled Infantino says FIFA must close financial gap between 'big countries' and 'others'

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has asserted that his organization is responsible for bridging the financial divide between affluent football federations and those with limited resources. Infantino emphasized this commitment during a video interview following a meeting with Caribbean Football Union members in the Dominican Republic. He stated, "This is our task – this is our job. We want to grow football in every one of our 211 countries in the world."

Infantino acknowledged that some member federations are content with the status quo and resist the growth of others, but he believes FIFA must find ways to provide opportunities to all member countries. "Some, unfortunately, don't need and they don't want that others grow, but we need to narrow this gap between the big, big countries and all the others," he added. "We need to find investments for all the others – opportunities for all the others."

The FIFA chief has been under scrutiny since his proposal to sell a minority stake in a new commercial entity to private investors. This plan would have provided up to $40 million to each of the 211 member federations. Infantino remains a candidate for re-election next year, but several regional football confederations, including UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF, are contemplating a motion of no confidence against him.