UEFA and CONCACAF have called on FIFA to consider releasing at least $10 million to each of its 211 member associations during the 2027-30 cycle, a proposal that could make up to $10 million available to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The proposal was contained in a September 18 letter sent to FIFA President Gianni Infantino by UEFA President Aleksander ?eferin and CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani, who are also FIFA vice-presidents. They called for an independent review of FIFA’s financial reserves before any decision is made.
?eferin and Montagliani estimate that FIFA will end the 2023-26 cycle with around $6 billion in reserves, which they described as the highest level in the organisation’s history.
Based on their analysis, they believe FIFA could release approximately $2.1 billion, with each of the 211 member associations receiving at least $10 million over the 2027-30 cycle for infrastructure and football development.
If approved, the proposal would be additional to funding already committed through the FIFA Forward programme, which the two officials said should continue in full. The NFF would therefore be among the associations eligible for the proposed additional funding.
Proposal Follows Abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise
The call comes after FIFA abandoned its FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan, which was designed to generate additional resources for football development through outside investment.
The project faced opposition from several confederations and member associations before being dropped.
?eferin and Montagliani said their examination of FIFA’s published financial statements and budgets raised questions about whether the FFE transaction was necessary, given the governing body's projected reserves.
They argued that FIFA could provide additional development funding directly from its balance sheet without selling interests in its competitions or requiring member associations to make concessions in return.
FIFA Reserves Would Remain Above Proposed Minimum
The UEFA and CONCACAF presidents said their calculations suggest FIFA’s reserves would remain at approximately $1.5 billion or above throughout the 2027-30 cycle even after the proposed distribution.
They said that figure would be around 50 per cent higher than the minimum reserve level FIFA had budgeted for the 2023-26 cycle.
However, the pair acknowledged that their calculations are preliminary. Their analysis combines FIFA's published financial results for 2022-25 with estimates for 2026 and assumptions about the 2027-30 period.
They have therefore called for an independent review with access to FIFA's underlying financial figures and assumptions before the proposal is considered.
Decision Yet to Be Made
The proposal has not been approved by FIFA, and the final amount, conditions and timing would depend on the outcome of the financial review and FIFA's governance process.
“Once a clearer picture of FIFA’s financial position at year-end is available,” the letter said, the FIFA Council could determine whether a larger distribution would be possible and whether a similar payment could be made during the 2031-34 cycle.
The two officials also framed the proposal as a governance issue, arguing that FIFA should retain sufficient reserves to meet its obligations while considering whether surplus funds could be directed towards football development.
“Development is an institutional responsibility of FIFA – not a matter of individual discretion,” the letter said.
?eferin and Montagliani proposed that their confederations continue the financial analysis jointly and agree on the appropriate amount that could be released to the member associations.
They want the recommendations to go through FIFA’s established governance process for consideration at the next FIFA Council meeting and said they would also seek the support of the presidents of the other four continental confederations.
For Nigeria, any approval of the proposal could provide the NFF with an additional $10 million during the 2027-30 cycle, specifically for infrastructure and football development, on top of existing FIFA Forward funding.