Gianni Infantino promised FIFA members new funding after the failed attempt to sell World Cup rights to private investors and calls for his resignation. In a letter sent to the 6 continental confederations on Monday, he said that national federations could receive additional funding from FIFA resources “in the highest amount that can be provided responsibly.” The proposal will be discussed at the FIFA Council meeting on October 15; Infantino has not prejudged the amount. UEFA and CONCACAF had called for a $2.1 billion payment and an independent review of FIFA’s financial resources following the FFE plan. Infantino said the payments would be subject to oversight and official approval, and that no amount could be considered committed before the assessment was completed. Defending the FFE plan with the goal of generating additional revenue for football, Infantino had warned federations that they would face a $30 million loss if they did not support it. Despite intense criticism, he will run for re-election as FIFA president in March 2027.
Why it matters
The development shows that the debate within FIFA is not limited to the search for new revenue, but also highlights questions about how existing resources will be distributed to federations and who will oversee them. UEFA and CONCACAF’s demand for payment and an independent review indicate a disagreement between the confederations and FIFA management over the reliability of financial processes. The Council meeting could determine not only the amount of support federations may receive, but also the oversight and approval conditions under which that support will be shaped. For national federations, the issue is therefore related not only to the size of the potential additional funding, but also to the transparency of decision-making and oversight mechanisms. Infantino’s re-election plan makes the funding decision an issue that cannot be separated from the management debate within FIFA.
Background
Infantino is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we published a news article mentioning this name in the last 90 days; that article is dated September 6, 2026.