FIFA Plans $6.35bn Football Development Fund, Infantino Apologises Over FFE Errors
FIFA has proposed a major increase in football development funding to $6.35 billion for the 2027–2030 cycle, with its 211 member associations expected to receive up to $25 million each under a new solidarity programme.
The proposal, presented at a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, follows the strong commercial performance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and comes amid scrutiny over the organisation’s financial management and the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino called for unity among football stakeholders while apologising for mistakes in the handling and communication of the FFE proposal, which he confirmed had been permanently withdrawn.
The proposed FIFA Surplus Solidarity Programme would more than double planned development funding for the next four-year cycle, drawing on a portion of the organisation’s financial reserves.
According to FIFA, its unaudited forecast projects a surplus of between $5.2 billion and $5.6 billion for the 2023–2026 cycle, while $1.7 billion would be retained as reserves to cover unforeseen circumstances.
Under the proposed arrangement, funding would increase for member associations, confederations, zonal and regional bodies, and other football stakeholders through the Forward 4.0 programme.
Priority areas would include women’s and youth football, infrastructure development and long-term projects aimed at expanding access to the game globally.
FIFA said the eligibility criteria, application procedures, approval processes, disbursement arrangements and audit requirements would be finalised by the relevant committees before the proposal is considered at the Council’s next meeting in December 2026.
The plan would subsequently be incorporated into FIFA’s 2026 annual report and presented for approval at the 77th FIFA Congress in March 2027.
Infantino said the organisation’s funds and reserves belonged to its 211 member associations, adding that the proposed increase was intended to strengthen football development following the World Cup’s financial success.
He also highlighted the growth in allocations to member associations during his decade in office, saying the funding had risen from $1 million to $25 million.
On the FFE controversy, Infantino acknowledged errors in the project’s handling and communication but maintained that its original objective was to increase investment in football and improve funding delivery.
FIFA said external lawyers briefed the Council on the legal background to the initiative, but details would remain confidential because of ongoing legal proceedings in the United States.
The Council also agreed to establish a working group comprising representatives of the various confederations to examine possible reforms to FIFA’s governance framework.
In addition, the Football Social Responsibility Committee was tasked with assessing the FIFA Peace Prize, with a decision expected at the December meeting.
Meanwhile, FIFA will review its disciplinary procedures following the decision by its independent Disciplinary Committee to suspend for a one-year probationary period the one-match ban imposed on United States forward Folarin Balogun after his dismissal against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2026 World Cup.
The FIFA Legal Committee will conduct the review and present its findings at the next Council meeting in December.
