The Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) could receive more than Rwf14 billion if a proposal to increase financial support to FIFA’s 211 member associations is approved.
The proposal, reportedly backed by UEFA and CONCACAF, calls for FIFA to allocate at least $10 million to each member association for the 2027–2030 cycle. If approved in full, the plan would require about $2.1 billion for all 211 associations.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has indicated his support for providing member associations with as much funding as can responsibly be made available, while stressing that any allocation should be subject to strong financial oversight.
In a letter to football association leaders across FIFA’s six confederations, Infantino said the amount should be “as much as can be responsibly delivered,” while stopping short of confirming a specific figure.
“I will not announce a figure beforehand. A figure can start a conversation, but it cannot conclude a policy that needs to work globally,” he said.
FERWAFA could get more than Rwf14 billion
At the proposed $10 million per association, FERWAFA would stand to receive more than Rwf14 billion, depending on the exchange rate at the time of payment.
The funding would be intended to support the development of football in member countries, potentially providing additional resources for areas such as grassroots football, infrastructure, competitions, youth development and administrative capacity.
However, the proposed $10 million allocation has not yet been approved, meaning the actual amount FERWAFA could receive remains uncertain.
The issue is expected to be discussed at the FIFA Council meeting scheduled for October 15, 2026, when FIFA officials are expected to consider different funding proposals alongside the organisation’s financial position.
Proposal comes amid debate over FIFA’s funding model
The proposed increase comes as FIFA continues to face discussions over how it can expand investment in football development while maintaining financial and governance safeguards.
One of the initiatives that had attracted attention was the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a plan that would have created a separate FIFA entity linking commercial activities with the management of FIFA competitions and seeking private investment.
FIFA had projected that, if the initiative went ahead, funding available to each member association through the FIFA Forward programme could rise from $8 million during the 2023–2026 cycle to $20 million in 2027–2030.
Each association could also have had access to an additional $20 million through FIFA Fast Forward, potentially bringing the total available support to U$40 million per member association.
The FFE proposal was later withdrawn following concerns and debate among football officials.
Among those calling for greater scrutiny was Debbie Hewitt, president of the English Football Association and a FIFA vice-president. She called for documents related to the FFE proposal to be made public and for an independent review of how the initiative was developed and how decisions concerning it were made.
According to Reuters, Infantino also acknowledged the need for an independent review of FIFA’s decision-making and governance processes concerning major initiatives.
For FERWAFA, the October 15 FIFA Council meeting will therefore be important in determining whether member associations will receive increased financial support for the next cycle.
For now, however, the $10 million allocation remains a proposal rather than an approved payment, and the final amount FERWAFA could receive will depend on the decision ultimately taken by FIFA.
