{
  "id": 2877242,
  "title": "Embattled Infantino says FIFA must close financial gap between 'big countries' and 'others'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/embattled-infantino-says-fifa-must-close-financial-gap-between-big",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-23T22:09:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/sports/football/2026/08/1517363/embattled-infantino-says-fifa-must-close-financial-gap-between-big"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\"\n\nInfantino 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.\"\n\nThe 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.",
  "summary": "DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Gianni Infantino said on Sunday that it was FIFA’s job to close the gap between its wealthy members and those with few financial resources, adding that some prosperous federations did not want others to grow.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Infantino defies FIFA vice president by going to youth event in Caribbean amid global soccer rift",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/infantino-defies-fifa-vice-president-by-going-to-youth-event-in",
        "published": "2026-08-22T14:03:59.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Associated Press",
        "title": "Infantino defies FIFA vice president by going to youth event in Caribbean amid global soccer rift",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/infantino-defies-fifa-vice-president-by-going-to-youth-event-in-2591691",
        "published": "2026-08-22T14:23:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBC News",
        "title": "Infantino defies FIFA vice president by going to youth event in Caribbean amid global soccer rift",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/infantino-defies-fifa-vice-president-by-going-to-youth-event-in-2690040",
        "published": "2026-08-22T14:30:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Nordic nations say they have lost confidence in Infantino and FIFA governance",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/nordic-nations-say-they-have-lost-confidence-in-infantino-and-fifa",
        "published": "2026-08-23T12:53:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Nordic nations ‘have lost confidence in Infantino’, demand FIFA reforms",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/nordic-nations-have-lost-confidence-in-infantino-demand-fifa-reforms",
        "published": "2026-08-23T13:50:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Sky News",
        "title": "Nordic FAs lose confidence in FIFA chief Gianni Infantino",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/nordic-fas-lose-confidence-in-fifa-chief-gianni-infantino",
        "published": "2026-08-23T15:07:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "Nordic nations say they have lost confidence in Infantino and Fifa governance",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/nordic-nations-say-they-have-lost-confidence-in-infantino-and-fifa-2825261",
        "published": "2026-08-23T16:16:51.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}