UEFA and CONCACAF demand $2.1bn from FIFA reserves in governance challenge

UEFA and CONCACAF have formally challenged FIFA’s financial management, demanding a one-off payout of $2.1bn from the governing body’s reserves. In a letter addressed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the two confederation presidents proposed that at least $10m be made available to each of FIFA’s 211 member associations over the 2027–30 cycle. The proposal is intended to supplement, rather than replace, funding already committed under the existing FIFA Forward Programme.

The move highlights growing institutional tensions following the abandonment of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project. The FFE had been presented as a plan to sell an interest in FIFA’s competitions to outside investors to generate additional development funds. However, the project was dropped after a backlash from member associations, prompting the confederation chiefs to question whether the transaction was necessary given FIFA’s current financial position.

Ceferin and Montagliani argue that FIFA’s reserves are on course to reach approximately $6bn by the end of the 2023–26 cycle, a figure they describe as the largest in the body’s history. They contend that the governing body has the capacity to distribute substantially more money from its own balance sheet without falling below minimum budgeted levels. Under their proposal, FIFA’s reserves would remain above $1.5bn at any point during the next cycle, which is 50 percent higher than the minimum reserve level budgeted for 2023–26.

The letter frames the dispute as a matter of governance, asserting that development is an institutional responsibility of FIFA rather than a matter of individual discretion. The confederation chiefs noted that their preliminary analysis combines published actual results for 2022–25 with estimates for 2026 and assumptions for the 2027–30 cycle. Consequently, they have called for an independent review with full access to underlying figures before recommendations are submitted through FIFA’s governance process.

Ceferin and Montagliani proposed that the confederations jointly complete the analysis and agree on the amount of reserves to be released. They intend to ask the presidents of the other four continental confederations to support the proposal, with recommendations to be considered at the next FIFA Council meeting. The letter also suggests that once a clearer picture of FIFA’s year-end financial position is available, the Council could determine if a larger distribution is possible or if an equivalent payout should follow in the 2031–34 cycle.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The timing of the challenge is notable as Infantino is expected to seek another term in the March 2027 vote, although his opponents are currently struggling to find a challenger.