Infantino makes bigger cash pledge to Fifa members

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has pledged to potentially distribute more funds to the organization's members, drawing from the estimated £4.4bn in its cash reserves. In a letter sent to the six continental confederations on Monday, Infantino stated his support for providing "the greatest level of additional funding that can responsibly be delivered."

The proposal comes in response to increasing pressure due to his aborted FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan, which involved selling stakes in World Cup and other competitions to private investors and sparked significant backlash. The letter also addresses demands from UEFA and Concacaf for FIFA to pay $10m (£7.5m) to all 211 members from its reserves.

Infantino will not specify the exact amount and emphasizes that the figure is merely a starting point for discussion, not the completion of a global policy. The FIFA Council will review the proposal during its meeting on October 15. Infantino reiterates that the scraped commercial proposal was meant to allow FIFA to invest more in football.

FA chair Debbie Hewitt, a FIFA vice-president, has called on Infantino to release all documents related to the controversial plan and demands an independent review of FFE. Infantino will run for re-election in March 2027, with his opponents having until November 18 to find an alternative candidate.