UEFA & CONCACAF demand Fifa pays $10m to all 211 members

UEFA and CONCACAF have written to Gianni Infantino, calling on FIFA to pay at least $10m (£7.5m) from its cash reserves to each of the 211 member associations.

It is the latest chapter in the war of words between the governing bodies, in response to FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s aborted private equity proposal.

FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) would have meant creating a new company to manage the commercial and ticketing rights for all competitions, including World Cups, with 21% sold to an investment company.

The idea was scrapped after four days following widespread opposition from national associations.

The letter, seen by BBC Sport, was signed by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and his Concacaf counterpart Victor Montagliani.

It outlines that “FIFA is on course to close 2023-26 with reserves of approximately $6bn (£4.5bn)”, which is “considerably more than is required” through to the 2030 men’s World Cup.

It said that Fifa should “make at least $10m available to each of its 211 member associations over the 2027-30 cycle”, which should be used “for investment in infrastructure and football development”.

This “one-off release of reserves” would cost $2.11bn (£1.57bn) and would be in addition to the regular funding in the cycle.

When the controversial plan was revealed in the days following the World Cup final, Infantino told members they would receive $40m (£30m) if they backed it.

Infantino set a deadline of 19 September for federations to accept his plans if they want to access an initial $20m (£15m).

In the letter, Ceferin and Montagliani said that analysis of Fifa’s published financial statements and budgets raised doubts about whether the FFE proposal was “necessary to deliver greater resources”.

It added that the analysis was “deliberately conservative” and a larger distribution from the reserves should be considered by the Fifa Council once the financial position at year-end is known.

An “independent review” of Fifa’s finances should be commissioned, it added, with “full access to the underlying figures and assumptions”.

“FIFA currently holds billions of dollars in accumulated reserves,” it read. “These resources belong to football and exist to serve the game and its 211 member associations.

“Prudence should not prevent a careful examination of whether a portion could responsibly be released to the extent those reserves exceed FIFA’s foreseeable needs.

“Releasing part of these reserves would demonstrate that member associations should not have to choose between development and good governance; between investment and integrity; or between financial support and the ability to consider proposals on their merits.

“Development is an institutional responsibility of Fifa – not a matter of individual discretion.”

Another letter, also seen by BBC Sport, has been sent to the presidents of the other confederations – Asia, Africa, South America and Oceania – asking them to support the motion.

The news comes a day after Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt sent a letter to Infantino and FIFA secretary-general Mattias Grafström demanding that all documents relating to the controversial FFE plan be released.

Hewitt, a Fifa vice-president, said that 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 on 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.