Uefa and Concacaf have written to Fifa president Gianni Infantino calling on the governing body to pay at least $10m (£7.5m) from its cash reserves to each of its 211 member associations. The two confederations issued a joint statement setting out the demand, which would see part of Fifa’s reserves distributed directly to national associations.
The intervention is the latest chapter in a war of words between the governing bodies, and comes in response to Infantino’s aborted private equity proposal. That plan, known as Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), would have created a new company to manage the commercial and ticketing rights of all competitions, including the World Cups, with 21% of it sold off to an investment company. The idea was scrapped after four days following widespread opposition from national associations, and was cancelled on 1 August.
In its statement immediately after FFE was abandoned, Uefa argued there should be no need for Infantino to sell off part of the game, pointing out that “with reserves standing at over $5bn (£3.7bn), he has also failed to use associations’ money for the benefit of the game”. Uefa has now called on Fifa to release part of those reserves to each country, a move that would cost $2.11bn (£1.57bn) in total and would come in addition to the regular funding provided in the 2027-30 cycle.
The demand follows a letter sent a day earlier by Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt to Infantino and Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, in which she demanded that all documents relating to the controversial plan be released. Hewitt, who is a Fifa vice-president, said the Fifa Council should also receive a written explanation for the cancelled suspension of United States forward Folarin Balogun at the World Cup. Infantino was told he should make all documents available before the next Fifa Council meeting, which is scheduled for 15 October.
Infantino, 56, will stand for election for a fourth time in March, with his opponents having until 18 November to find an alternative candidate.