FIFA President Gianni Infantino has indicated that he would support the highest level of additional funding that can be responsibly provided to the organisation’s member associations, as he seeks another term in office.

The amount each national association could receive is scheduled to be discussed at a FIFA Council meeting on October 15. No specific figure has been approved, and Infantino said the final decision must follow FIFA’s governance procedures.

In a letter to the heads of FIFA’s six regional confederations, Infantino said he would support “the greatest level of additional funding that can responsibly be delivered through FIFA’s proper governance process, applied fairly and supported by transparent and auditable arrangements.”

He also said he had instructed FIFA’s Secretary General to bring together submissions from the confederations in a single assessment for consideration by the council.

Funding debate comes amid opposition

The proposed funding discussions come as Infantino faces opposition from regional football bodies and other critics over his leadership and plans for re-election.

UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation have called for Infantino to resign over the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan. The plan was intended to focus on the commercial and operational aspects of the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments.

Infantino had proposed selling approximately 20 percent of FIFA Forward Enterprise to private investors. Joshua Kushner was identified as a prospective investor. The proposal was later abandoned. If it had proceeded, each FIFA member nation would have received at least $20 million, according to the reported plan.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani reportedly wrote to FIFA requesting payments from the organisation’s reserves. Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, head of the Asian Football Confederation, made a similar request. Reports said the UEFA and CONCACAF letter sought a minimum of $10 million for each member association.

The figures in those requests were reported but have not been presented as an approved FIFA distribution formula.

Leagues demand governance changes

The English Premier League and the football leagues of Spain, Italy and Germany have also called for reforms to FIFA’s governance. In a joint statement, the leagues accused Infantino of promoting “exploitative ideas rather than safeguarding against them.”

Critics and rights groups have separately asked FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee to prevent Infantino from standing for another term. The source material does not indicate that the committee has reached a decision.

Infantino, who became FIFA president in 2016 after Sepp Blatter resigned, has confirmed his bid for re-election and said he plans to run in March. No challenger had come forward seven weeks before the deadline period described for candidates to announce their intention to oppose him.

His eligibility for a further term has been questioned. FIFA limits presidents to three four-year terms, but Infantino argued in 2022 that his first period in office should not count because it completed an interrupted mandate.

The timing and legality of a possible fourth term remain disputed by critics and rights groups. The FIFA Council’s October 15 discussion is expected to address the proposed distributions, but the final amount, allocation method and timing of any payments have not been established.