Infantino makes bigger cash pledge to Fifa members

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has indicated that a greater amount of money could be distributed to Fifa member associations from the organization's estimated £4.4bn cash reserves, following mounting pressure over his controversial and now-aborted commercial strategy.

Infantino faced severe backlash over the aborted Fifa Forward Enterprise plan, which previously proposed selling stakes in the World Cup and other major tournaments to private investors. The pressure intensified after UEFA and Concacaf, the governing bodies for European and North American football respectively, formally demanded that Fifa pay $10m, equivalent to £7.5m, to all 211 member countries utilizing its financial reserves.

The upcoming financial proposal is scheduled for review by the Fifa Council when members convene for a meeting on October 15.

"I will not prejudge the amount," Infantino stated in his recent letter, adding that while a single figure can initiate discussions, it cannot finalize a global policy.

"The recent commercial proposal, now withdrawn, was intended to enable Fifa to invest more in football."

Gianni Infantino

Photo by Teemu Paananen / Unsplash

Earlier this month, Football Association chair and Fifa vice-president Debbie Hewitt urged Infantino to release all documentation tied to the controversial plan while calling for an independent review of the initiative. Infantino is set to run for a fourth term in March 2027, with rival candidates facing a November 18 deadline to emerge.