A year after the Club World Cup ended, FIFA still hasn't distributed the £185 million it promised clubs. That delay would normally be enough to draw scrutiny. This week, though, it's been overshadowed by an even bigger problem.
Why FIFA's Solidarity Payment Is Still Unpaid
FIFA set aside £185m for clubs that missed out on last summer's expanded Club World Cup. The solidarity fund was designed to ensure teams outside the 32-club tournament still received a share of the competition's revenue.
The clubs that did play got their money. Winners Chelsea collected roughly £84m from a £740m prize pool. The £185m meant for everyone else has simply sat unpaid, with no confirmed timeline for release.
The Guardian reports that the payments delay stems from disagreements over how the money should be divided among FIFA's six continental confederations. Several of them don't even have an existing system for distributing payments like these.
If every top-flight club received an equal share, the £185m would amount to roughly £50,000 each. That's pocket change for Europe's elite, but a meaningful boost for clubs operating in leagues with modest television income.
How The Unpaid Fund Adds To FIFA's Wider Financial Controversy
The delayed solidarity payments are only part of FIFA's current troubles. Days earlier, Infantino had already been forced to abandon a much bigger investment plan. FIFA had proposed selling private equity stakes in a new commercial subsidiary.
So it can help to control the World Cup and Club World Cup rights, backed by investors led by Joshua Kushner, at a valuation of $20 billion.
The offer to FIFA's 211 member associations was simple: a one-off $20 million payment to each, funded by outside investors, in return for letting private companies take a cut of future World Cup and Club World Cup revenue.
It collapsed within days. UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation, representing roughly two-thirds of FIFA's voting membership, opposed the plan outright. UEFA went even further, warning it would boycott FIFA competitions if the plan moved ahead.
Read More: Who Could Replace Gianni Infantino As FIFA President?
Why UEFA And CONCACAF Have Lost Confidence In Infantino
Infantino's own senior adviser didn't wait for the plan to be scrapped before walking away. Carlos Cordeiro resigned in protest days before the U-turn, saying the deal would harm FIFA's member associations.
UEFA didn't hold back either. It described the process as "the shabby, back-room, opaque deal he hatched," the kind of language you rarely hear from one football governing body when speaking publicly about another.
Reports have since surfaced claiming Infantino sought a $30m salary through the new commercial entity, roughly six times his current FIFA presidential pay, adding fuel to accusations that personal financial motive shaped the proposal.
Infantino, for his part, framed the retreat differently, saying in his own statement: "Our purpose has always been – and will always be – to unite and improve."
What Happens Next For FIFA And Gianni Infantino?
Two separate money stories are now colliding at the worst possible moment for Infantino: FIFA can't get £185m already collected out to the clubs it promised, while simultaneously getting caught trying to sell private stakes in future tournaments worth ten times that amount.
Infantino was expected to cruise to re-election as FIFA president next March. UEFA and CONCACAF publicly declaring they had lost confidence in his leadership has made that far less certain than it looked two weeks ago.
It remains unclear when the £185m will actually reach clubs. If the delay continues much longer, frustrated clubs could follow the confederations' lead and escalate their complaints publicly, which might add further pressure on Infantino's leadership and his upcoming campaign.
