FIFA is preparing to propose a $6.35 billion development fund for 2027-30, including $25 million for each of its 211 member associations, according to The Associated Press.

The plan would increase the previously planned allocation of $10 million per association as the governing body looks to direct more of its World Cup revenue towards football development.

The proposal follows the collapse of a separate private-investment plan in July and comes amid disagreements between FIFA and several continental confederations over financial strategy and governance.

The funding plan is expected to go through the FIFA Council process before Congress considers it in March 2027.

How FIFA’s Proposed $25m Allocation Compares With Current Funding

Under FIFA’s Forward 3.0 programme, each member association can receive up to $8 million over the 2023-26 cycle. The original allocation for the following four-year period was set at $10 million per association, according to AP.

The new proposal would raise the planned allocation to $25 million per association for 2027-30, an increase of $15 million over the previously planned $10 million.

Across 211 members, the proposed increase would provide a substantial boost to national federations, many of which rely on FIFA funding to support domestic competitions, infrastructure and development programmes.

According to The Times the proposed $25 million allocation could comprise $10 million for operating costs, $10 million for specific projects and $5 million for women’s and youth football. FIFA has not formally approved the proposal or publicly confirmed this breakdown.

The proposal follows the withdrawal of FIFA Forward Enterprise, a plan announced in July to create a commercial subsidiary valued at $20 billion and sell a minority stake to outside investors. FIFA had said the initiative could raise up to $4.2 billion.

The proposal also included a potential one-off payment of $20 million to each member association and an increase in regular development funding for the next cycle. However, it faced resistance from UEFA and other confederations before FIFA abandoned the plan at the end of July.

On 18 September, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani called for at least $10 million to be distributed to each of FIFA’s 211 member associations from FIFA’s financial reserves.

Their proposal, reported by Reuters, was based on projected reserves of around $6 billion after the World Cup.

How FIFA Would Finance Its Proposed $6.35bn Development Fund

FIFA expects revenue of approximately $15 billion during the 2022-26 cycle, including income from the expanded 48-team World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

AP reported that FIFA plans to distribute more than $3.5 billion from its financial reserves, which have benefited from the tournament’s commercial success. The reserves were also central to the September funding dispute.

UEFA and CONCACAF projected that FIFA’s reserves would reach around $6 billion by the end of 2026 and argued that the organisation could increase direct funding without pursuing private investment.

Allocating $25 million to each of FIFA’s 211 member associations would total $5.275 billion. A further $99 million for each of the six continental confederations would add $594 million, bringing the combined amount to $5.869 billion.

This leaves $481 million of the reported $6.35 billion fund to be accounted for, so the remaining allocations to other stakeholders should be clarified if the proposal's full breakdown is available.

When Could FIFA’s Development Funding Plan Be Approved?

The proposal is expected to be considered by the FIFA Council before being submitted to Congress in March 2027. The precise timetable for finalising the proposal should be confirmed against FIFA’s latest announcements, as reports have referred to different possible decision dates.

FIFA has not publicly confirmed a definitive timetable for final approval.

The financial disagreement has developed into a wider dispute over FIFA’s governance. UEFA announced in August that it was preparing a criminal complaint in Switzerland concerning possible financial mismanagement linked to the abandoned investment plan.

It has also sought authorisation from US courts to obtain evidence related to the proposal. In September, Infantino indicated that he was open to an independent external review of FIFA’s governance arrangements.

FIFA’s Council meeting on 15 October is expected to bring the funding proposal and wider governance concerns into focus, although the specific agenda and decisions should be confirmed against FIFA’s official announcements.