Uefa and Concacaf demand Fifa release $10m to each of its 211 members
Uefa and Concacaf have written to Fifa president Gianni Infantino demanding at least $10m from Fifa's reserves be paid to each of the 211 member associations, escalating a dispute that followed Infantino's scrapped private equity plan.
European football body Uefa and the Concacaf confederation have sent a joint letter to Fifa president Gianni Infantino demanding that Fifa release at least $10m from its cash reserves to each of its 211 member associations.
The letter, signed by Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin and Concacaf president Victor Montagliani, was seen by BBC Sport. It states that Fifa is projected to end the 2023-26 cycle with reserves of roughly $6bn, far more than needed to cover costs through the 2030 men's World Cup.
Background to the dispute
The demand follows the collapse of Infantino's Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal, which would have created a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights across Fifa competitions, including World Cups, with 21% of it sold to an investment firm. The plan was withdrawn within four days after strong opposition from national associations. Infantino had earlier told members they would receive $40m if they backed the plan, setting a 19 September deadline to accept in order to access an initial $20m.
What Uefa and Concacaf are asking for
The two confederations want Fifa to make a one-off release of $2.11bn from its reserves over the 2027-30 cycle, distributing at least $10m to each association for infrastructure and football development, on top of regular funding. The letter says their analysis, based on Fifa's published financial statements, was deliberately conservative and suggests an even larger distribution could be justified. It calls for an independent review of Fifa's finances with full access to underlying figures.
A similar letter has been sent to the presidents of the Asian, African, South American and Oceania confederations seeking their support. The move comes a day after Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt demanded Infantino release all documents related to the scrapped plan ahead of the Fifa Council meeting on 15 October. Infantino, 56, is due to stand for a fourth term as president in March.
