Unpaid club payments leave FIFA’s 2029 Club World Cup future hanging in the balance

FIFA is facing an unprecedented financial and political crisis after failing to pay £185m owed to clubs, putting the future of the 2029 Club World Cup at risk and prompting calls for president Gianni Infantino to be removed from office.

The disputed sum was intended as “solidarity payments” for clubs that did not take part in the 2025 tournament in the United States. While the 32 participating clubs have received their tournament payments, not a single pound of the money set aside for non-participating clubs has reportedly been distributed, according to the British newspaper Express.

FIFA had promised to give £50,000 to every top-flight club around the world. The scheme was designed to ensure that clubs throughout the game benefited from the tournament’s commercial returns, including £740m generated from broadcast rights sold through DAZN.

However, months after the competition ended, the promised payments remain outstanding. What was presented as a commitment to redistribute the tournament’s income has instead become a growing debt, fuelling anger across the global football community and raising questions about FIFA’s financial credibility.

The consequences could extend beyond the unpaid bill, with the 2029 Club World Cup itself now under serious threat.

One major problem is the collapse in trust between FIFA and clubs. The failure to deliver the solidarity payments has damaged the governing body’s credibility and made it significantly harder to secure the participation of leading European clubs in the next edition.

There is also no confirmed host country for the 2029 tournament. No agreement has been reached and, according to the report, serious negotiations have yet to begin. Brazil, Germany, England and Australia have all indicated an interest in hosting the competition, but the process is currently frozen.

Behind the scenes, the most widely discussed outcome is that the tournament could be postponed or cancelled if FIFA cannot settle its debts and restore confidence among clubs. Such a decision would threaten the future of a project Infantino has described since 2016 as his “personal project”.

The financial dispute has added to a wider series of challenges facing the Swiss-Italian president. Infantino has already faced criticism over his failure to anticipate the reaction to plans to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to investors. The unpaid Club World Cup commitments have now created an additional crisis involving the tournament’s administration.

Pressure reached a new level when UEFA openly called for Infantino to be dismissed. The demand is unprecedented since he became FIFA president.

Even if Infantino survives a vote on his position, the dispute has weakened his authority. His ability to secure approval for major decisions, including plans to expand competitions, has been severely reduced.

The unpaid £185m therefore represents more than a financial obligation. It has become a test of FIFA’s relationship with clubs and of Infantino’s ability to deliver the tournament that has been central to his long-term vision. Unless the debt is resolved and a host nation is found, the 2029 Club World Cup may not go ahead at all.