Ugandan football could receive an additional USD 10 million if a proposal to release part of FIFA’s financial reserves succeeds.
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and Concacaf president Victor Montagliani have written to FIFA president Gianni Infantino seeking a financial review.
Both FIFA vice-presidents want the review to establish how much could be distributed directly to the organisation’s 211 member associations.
Their proposal could benefit the Federation of Uganda Football Associations, with every association potentially receiving at least USD 10 million.
The proposed payment would be additional to the FIFA Forward Programme rather than replacing existing development funding for member associations.
Čeferin and Montagliani believe FIFA could close the 2023-26 financial cycle with approximately USD 6 billion held in reserves.
They describe that amount as FIFA’s largest accumulated reserves and believe part could instead support football development across member associations.
“Our analysis indicates that FIFA should make at least USD 10 million available to each of its 211 MAs over the 2027-30 cycle for investment in infrastructure and football development,” their letter reads.
Their proposal would see FIFA distribute approximately USD 2.1 billion from its accumulated financial reserves across world football.
The pair argue FIFA’s reserves would still remain above USD 1.5 billion throughout the next cycle after making distributions.
However, they acknowledge their assessment remains preliminary and want an independent financial review conducted before any distribution receives consideration.
For Uganda, the proposal could significantly increase the development resources available to FUFA alongside existing FIFA financial support.
Under FIFA Forward 3.0, covering 2023-26, each member association can access up to USD 8 million during the cycle.
That includes USD 5 million for operational activities and USD 3 million for approved football development projects and infrastructure.
Eligible associations can also receive additional financial assistance covering travel requirements and football equipment under the current development programme.
The proposed USD 10 million distribution would therefore provide FUFA with another significant source of funding beyond FIFA Forward.
The debate follows discussions around FIFA Forward Enterprise, which could generate additional commercial revenue from the governing body’s competitions.
FIFA has proposed increasing Forward funding from USD 8 million currently to USD 20 million per association during 2027-30.
Member associations could potentially access another USD 20 million through a separate Fast Forward programme under FIFA’s proposals.
Čeferin and Montagliani question whether that transaction is necessary when FIFA already holds substantial reserves on its balance sheet.
They believe FIFA can provide considerably more development funding without selling interests in competitions or requiring concessions from member associations.
The vice-presidents now want the other four confederation presidents to support their proposal for consideration by FIFA’s governing structures.