Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has urged FIFA president Gianni Infantino to distribute funds from FIFA reserves to its member associations, stressing the need for support following the financial success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Asian Football Leaders Urge Gianni Infantino to Pay

According to News.

Background

Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, as leader of Asian football and vice president of FIFA, has had a great influence in pushing for policy change. With support from the UEFA and Concacaf presidents, there is a high probability that this proposal will receive serious attention in future meetings.

Why this is important

Sheikh Salman's insistence on Gianni Infantino to distribute FIFA reserve funds reflects the importance of financial support for member associations. With the financial success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, there is hope that these funds can be used for the development of football throughout the world, including improving the quality of competition at local level.

Main Points

Asian Football Leaders Urge Gianni Infantino to Pay.
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has urged FIFA president Gianni Infantino to distribute funds from FIFA reserves to its member associations, stressing the need for support following the financial success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Asian football heads join calls for Gianni Infantino to pay Fifa members.

Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the leader of Asian football, has stepped up pressure on Gianni Infantino to hand over money from FIFA's vast reserves to its member associations. Sheikh Salman has written to the FIFA president, calling for FIFA's reserves to be reviewed at the upcoming council meeting next month. His move follows calls by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and his Concacaf counterpart Victor Montagliani — who is also FIFA vice president — who last week asked that $2.1 billion (£1.5 billion) of the $6 billion reserve be distributed among the 211 national associations, meaning each gets around $10 million (£7.5 million).

"As you consistently emphasize, FIFA's financial success should ultimately benefit football and its member associations," Sheikh Salman's letter said. "In this spirit, the overwhelming commercial success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup should provide an opportunity to further support member associations and the development of football around the world. To ensure that the football family can utilize these resources for the continued development of football, without unnecessary administrative or financial delays, I believe it is vital that the FIFA board considers this issue at its meeting on 15 October 2026."

Sheikh stressed that the board meeting that will take place in Zurich should either take a “definitive decision” on the allocation of excess reserves or set a “clear schedule and process for the necessary review, approval and implementation”. The move by the three confederation presidents will stop Infantino from claiming credit if he increases payments to the national association before presidential elections in March.

The three leaders have also called for Infantino to resign after The Times revealed his plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors through the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme which he later scrapped. Infantino has previously promised to provide additional money to member associations — but only if they support his plan. He has not provided a direct response to these calls, but has sent a letter to FIFA board members stating that he would welcome an independent review of FIFA's governance — although not a review of the FFE scheme as requested by the English FA chairman and FIFA vice-president, Debbie Hewitt. The letter, reported by news agency Reuters, stated: "I will ask the board to determine whether it wishes to commission an independent external review of FIFA's current governance framework for major strategic initiatives and recommend possible improvements."

Infantino also said he was open to consultations on the role of the FIFA president, bureau, council and congress, "as well as practical ways to strengthen transparency, participation and accountability in major strategic initiatives". He once again stressed that his FFE scheme was "a proposal, not a decision". "This proposal emerged publicly before FIFA's planned institutional process was completed and before it could be fully presented to the council and member associations," the letter added. "I acknowledge that, without full context, this caused concern and created the impression that a decision had already been made. That is not true. This remains a proposal, not a decision, and was always subject to the necessary approvals from the board and member associations. It has now been withdrawn and will not proceed."

What happened next

The FIFA council meeting scheduled for October 15 2026 will be a crucial moment to discuss the distribution of these funds. If Sheikh Salman and his colleagues' requests are met, this could provide a significant cash injection for national associations, which in turn could accelerate player development and competition at various levels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is involved in this pressure?

Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, president of Asian football, and Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA.

Where does Sheikh Salman come from?

Sheikh Salman comes from the Asian football association.

Why is Sheikh Salman pushing Gianni Infantino?

He urged handing over money from FIFA's vast reserves to its member associations to support football development.

What is the status of the deal requested by Sheikh Salman?

He requested that $2.1 billion from FIFA's reserves be distributed among the 211 national associations.

When will the FIFA council meeting discuss this issue?

The FIFA council meeting is scheduled to take place on October 15, 2026.

Asian Football Leaders Urge Gianni Infantino to Pay Up