Uefa and Concacaf have jointly called upon FIFA President Gianni Infantino to disburse at least $10 million from the organization's reserves to each of its 211 member associations. This demand represents the latest development in a dispute stemming from Infantino's recently abandoned private equity proposal.
The proposal, known as Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), aimed to establish a new company to manage the commercial and ticketing rights of all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, with a 21% stake to be sold to an investment firm. The plan was withdrawn after only four days due to significant opposition from national football associations.
Following the cancellation of FFE on August 1, Uefa stated that there was no necessity for FIFA to sell off parts of the game. The European football governing body pointed out that with FIFA's reserves exceeding $5 billion, the organization had failed to utilize these funds for the benefit of the sport. Uefa is now advocating for the release of a portion of these reserves, estimating the total cost to be approximately $2.11 billion, in addition to the regular funding allocated for the 2027-2030 cycle.
This development follows a letter sent by Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt to Infantino and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom. Hewitt demanded the release of all documentation pertaining to the controversial FFE plan and requested a written explanation from the FIFA Council regarding the suspended player Folarin Balogun at the World Cup.
Infantino, who is seeking a fourth term as FIFA president in March, is expected to make all relevant documents available before the next FIFA Council meeting scheduled for October 15. Opponents have until November 18 to present alternative candidates for the presidency.