FIFA agrees in principle to federation payments from 2026 World Cup windfall

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has expressed support in principle for a proposal to distribute additional funds to the organisation’s 211 member associations following record revenues generated by the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Infantino outlined his position in a letter sent to the presidents of FIFA’s six confederations, following a proposal from UEFA and Concacaf calling for each member association to receive at least USD 10 million from FIFA.

However, the FIFA president stopped short of committing to a specific figure, insisting that the final amount must be determined through the organisation’s governance process.

The FIFA Council is expected to discuss the proposal at its meeting on October 15, 2026, with Infantino instructing FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström to consolidate the submissions from the confederations into a single assessment.

“FIFA’s financial success must serve football and all FIFA’s 211 Member Associations,” Infantino said in the letter, according to ESPN.

He also stressed that while the proposed figures and mechanisms were new, the principle of sharing FIFA’s financial success with member associations was not.

The proposal comes amid tensions between Infantino and several confederation leaders following his earlier attempt to secure approval for the sale of a 20% stake in the World Cup to a group of private investors led by Joshua Kushner. That plan would reportedly have resulted in each member association receiving USD 20 million.

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and Concacaf president Victor Montagliani subsequently pushed for the alternative USD 10 million distribution proposal and called for Infantino’s resignation.

Infantino has now sought to present his position as broadly aligned with the wider push for increased solidarity funding, while emphasizing that FIFA must establish the appropriate financial and governance framework before making a commitment.

“I will support the greatest level of additional funding that can responsibly be delivered through FIFA’s proper governance process, applied fairly and supported by transparent and auditable arrangements,” he said.

The final allocation could therefore vary between member associations during the 2027-30 cycle, depending on the model approved by the FIFA Council.

Infantino also called for unity among FIFA and the confederations as discussions over the distribution of the World Cup windfall continue.

The proposed payments could provide significant additional financial resources to national football associations across the world, particularly those with limited domestic revenue streams, although the exact amount and distribution mechanism remain subject to FIFA approval.