FIFA to Propose $6.35 Billion Development Fund: Per-Association Payouts to Jump from $10m to $25m

FIFA to Put $6.35 Billion on the Table for Global Football Development

FIFA will propose a $6.35 billion development fund for the 2027-2030 cycle, according to a document reviewed by the Associated Press — a plan that would more than double the governing body’s planned distribution funding and lift the basic entitlement for each of its 211 member associations from $10 million to $25 million per four-year period.

The proposal, confirmed by two people with knowledge of the plan and a letter reviewed by the AP, draws on the financial success of the 2026 World Cup. FIFA says the money is intended "to enhance investment in football development across 211 FIFA member associations, confederations and other stakeholders," with a specific focus on women’s and youth football.

What the numbers look like

• $6.35 billion total development fund for the 2027-2030 cycle
• $25 million for each of the 211 member associations — up from $10 million
• $99 million for each of the six continental confederations
• Plan to be finalised by the FIFA Council in December 2026, subject to approval by the 77th FIFA Congress in March 2027

Governance backdrop

The scale of the payout comes at a delicate moment for FIFA’s governance. The fund proposal emerged a day after reports that President Gianni Infantino received previously undisclosed compensation from the business entity that ran the 2026 World Cup — a potential violation of FIFA statutes. Infantino has signalled openness to an independent review of FIFA’s governance system and a willingness to consider reforms.

For national associations, many of which depend heavily on FIFA distributions to run competitions and development programmes, the jump from $10 million to $25 million would mark one of the largest single increases in the history of FIFA’s Forward development programme — though the final figures depend on council sign-off in December and Congress ratification in March 2027.

Sources: Associated Press, ESPN, BBC Sport.