FIFA Expected to Propose €5.5 Billion Development Fund

FIFA is expected to propose a four-year development fund worth €5.5 billion, including €25 million for each national association, but the plan still requires approval by its governing bodies. The proposal would raise the planned allocation for each of FIFA’s 211 member associations from €10 million over four years. FIFA is also expected to distribute more than €3.5 billion from reserves built up through World Cup revenue, according to reporting based on briefings by two unnamed officials. The proposal has not been formally announced by FIFA. FIFA President Gianni Infantino sent details of the plan to the presidents of the six continental confederations in a letter dated September 28. In the letter, he said the aim was for the organization’s financial success to benefit football and its member associations, and expressed confidence that they could reach a sustainable funding outcome. The FIFA Council is expected to discuss the proposal on Thursday, October 15. The plan is then expected to go through consultation and be finalized by the council in December, with approval by the FIFA Congress expected in March. Those steps remain pending, and the funding terms could still change.