Fifa to offer members US$6.35bil development fund windfall

Football's international governing body, Fifa, is set to create a US$6.35 billion development fund to support its 211 member federations and regional confederations over the next four years. This fund will be financed partially by the financial reserves of the organization following the lucrative 2026 World Cup. The plan, first reported by the Associated Press, intends to distribute US$25 million to each federation, a sum significantly higher than the US$10 million advocated by two of the federation's most vocal critics, Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin and Concacaf chief Victor Montagliani.

The Council meeting to approve this fund will take place on Thursday in Zurich, where Fifa president Gianni Infantino and all 36 members of the executive will convene. This marks the first such meeting since April 28, taking place as the global football body grapples with a governance crisis following Infantino's announcement of his intention to open Fifa's premium competitions like the World Cup to private investors.

However, this plan was ultimately scrapped due to widespread criticism from football stakeholders, including a rebellion led by Uefa, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

In response to this turmoil, Infantino initiated a consultation process with federations to reform the global body's operations. Proposals could be examined as early as Thursday's Council meeting. Infantino, who has been leading Fifa since 2016, is seeking re-election in March 2027, with no clear candidate yet agreed upon by his opponents. Ceferin intends to run for another term as Uefa president, and Montagliani is expected to do the same at Concacaf. The deadline for candidates to submit their nominations is November 18.