FIFA to offer extra £2.6bn for football development

FIFA aims to allocate an additional £2.6bn (£2.7bn) to football development worldwide over the next three years, as part of its plan for the 2027-2030 cycle. The governing body intends to release funds from its reserves, which will more than double the planned distribution. This proposal will be made during a meeting of FIFA's council and comes amid mounting pressure following President Gianni Infantino's scrapped Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan.

Infantino had proposed selling stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors but faced significant criticism from UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation. In response to these concerns, UEFA and CONCACAF have requested FIFA to provide at least $10m (£7.5m) from its reserves to each of the 211 member associations.

Infantino, who will stand for re-election in March 2027, has pledged to support "the greatest level of additional funding that can responsibly be delivered." The proposal aims to improve the investment and development of women's and youth football, with FIFA increasing its spending to $6.35bn (£4.83bn) for the 2027-2030 cycle. The distribution of funds will focus on women's and youth football development, infrastructure, and projects, with one-third allocated to each of these areas.

The terms and conditions of the distribution will be finalized by the FIFA Council in December 2026 and will require approval by the 77th FIFA Congress in March 2027.