UEFA and CONCACAF call for independent review of FIFA reserves

The UEFA and CONCACAF presidents have increased pressure on FIFA president Gianni Infantino by demanding an independent investigation into the organisation’s financial reserves and calling for more than $2bn (about €175bn) to be distributed among its 211 member associations.

The proposal is contained in a letter sent to Infantino by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani. Reuters has seen the letter.

Ceferin and Montagliani, both FIFA vice-presidents, want each national association to receive at least $10m (just under €9m) during the 2027-2030 period.

The total would amount to almost €2bn when converted. The money would be used for projects including football infrastructure and development.

The request follows the collapse of FIFA’s controversial Forward Enterprise plan. Infantino had proposed selling an interest in FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup, to outside investors in an effort to raise additional funding for football development.

The plan faced significant opposition before eventually being withdrawn. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF were among those to reject it.

The two confederation presidents are now questioning whether such a fundraising structure is necessary at all. Their calculations suggest FIFA could end the current cycle with reserves of about $6bn, which would be a record amount in the history of world football’s governing body.

They believe FIFA’s reserves would still remain above $1.5bn during the next cycle, even if the proposed distribution went ahead.

Before any money is transferred, however, Ceferin and Montagliani want an independent review of FIFA’s finances. The investigation would examine the organisation’s figures and the assumptions underpinning its financial forecasts in detail.

Following that review, the FIFA Council would decide how much money could be transferred directly to the member associations.

Ceferin and Montagliani are also seeking the backing of the presidents of the other four continental football confederations for their proposal.

Their intervention places Infantino under renewed scrutiny after the failure of Forward Enterprise, which had been presented as a way to generate further investment in football development through external funding.

The letter instead argues that FIFA’s existing financial position could allow substantial funds to be released to its members, while maintaining a significant reserve for the next cycle.