Two FIFA vice-presidents have asked for an independent review of the governing body’s financial reserves, arguing that some of the money could be released directly to national football associations without selling interests in FIFA competitions.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin and CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani made the proposal in a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino dated September 18.
The two officials want FIFA’s financial position examined to determine how much of its accumulated reserves could responsibly be distributed among its 211 member associations.
Their preliminary calculations suggest at least $10 million could be made available to each association during the 2027–30 cycle for infrastructure and football development. Across all 211 associations, that would amount to approximately $2.1 billion.
The proposed payment would be separate from FIFA’s existing Forward Programme, which Čeferin and Montagliani said should continue as already committed.
Their intervention follows the abandonment of FIFA Forward Enterprise, a project that had proposed bringing outside investors into a structure linked to FIFA competitions to generate additional development funding.
After examining FIFA’s published financial statements and budgets, Čeferin and Montagliani questioned whether such a transaction had been necessary.
They estimate FIFA could finish the 2023–26 cycle with reserves of about $6 billion. According to their analysis, distributing $2.1 billion would still leave FIFA’s reserves no lower than approximately $1.5 billion at any point during the following cycle.
Those figures are not yet the findings of an independent financial review.
Čeferin and Montagliani acknowledged that their calculations are preliminary, combining FIFA’s published results for 2022–25 with estimates for 2026 and assumptions about the 2027–30 cycle.
That uncertainty is one reason they are asking for an independent examination with access to the underlying financial information before any distribution is decided.
Once FIFA’s year-end financial position becomes clearer, the FIFA Council could consider whether a larger amount could be released and whether a similar distribution might be possible during the 2031–34 cycle.
The proposal also raises a broader question about how development money should be distributed across world football. In their letter, Čeferin and Montagliani argued that financial support for member associations should operate independently of their position on other FIFA proposals.
They want the confederations to complete their analysis jointly and submit recommendations through FIFA’s governance process for consideration at the next FIFA Council meeting.
The presidents of FIFA’s other four continental confederations will also be asked to support the proposal.
FIFA had not immediately responded to a request for comment reported by Reuters on Friday.
