How Much NFF Will Receive From FIFA After Gianni Infantino's World Cup Rights Deal
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino proposed a new commercial structure that would significantly increase funding for all member associations, including the NFF
- Former NFF President Amaju Pinnick publicly backed the plan, revealing details about how much each football federation stands to gain
- All FIFA member associations have a deadline to vote on the proposal, with major opposition already emerging from UEFA
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is among the football bodies set to receive $20 million in grants under a proposed new commercial arrangement by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, up from the current $8 million in the existing four-year funding cycle.
The plan centres on a new entity called FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE), which would take over FIFA's commercial operations.
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According to The Athletic, FIFA would retain a majority stake while selling a minority share to private investors, with The Athletic reporting that the deal would unlock immediate funding for member associations once finalised.
Among the investors linked to the proposal is Thrive Eternal, a firm connected to Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, who is married to Donald Trump's daughter.
According to the proposal, funding would increase further in subsequent cycles, rising to $22 million per association for 2031 to 2034 and $24 million for 2035 to 2038.
Pinnick backs the Infantino World Cup plan
Former NFF president Amaju Pinnick, now serving as deputy chairperson of the FIFA Men's National Teams Competitions Committee, spoke in support of the initiative in an interview on Wednesday.
He said the funding would allow football associations to operate without relying on government support.
"When you are saying there's a controversy, who will be the main beneficiary? Who are the shareholders? The shareholders are the Member Associations: Nigeria FA, Ghana FA, South African FA, these are the main beneficiaries! And he said clearly, once this is done, the MAs will receive $20 million," Pinnick said.
He added that combined with the existing FIFA Forward programme, which allows associations to access an additional $20 million, a total of $40 million would be enough to run football independently.
"If you have $40 million total, trust me, you don't need the government to run football! What people should be bothered about is the integrity of the funds, the integrity of the personnel, the consortium, or the company involved," he said.
Pinnick acknowledged he had not personally received official communications about the proposal but said he had spoken with colleagues and was confident Infantino had consulted widely before making the submission.
UEFA pushes back as deadline approaches
The proposal has drawn significant criticism, particularly from UEFA, which has reportedly been pushing back against the commercialisation plan, per Reuters.
Critics argue that selling a stake in FIFA's commercial arm to private investors risks reducing the governing body's control over the global game in the long run.
All FIFA member associations have until September 19, 2026 to accept or reject the proposal. The outcome of the vote will determine whether the new funding structure takes effect.
CAF releases statement on Infantino's deal
Earlier, Legit.ng reported about the Confederation of African Football's response to FIFA's proposed Forward Enterprise initiative, which plans to distribute $40 million to each member association over the next four years.
As CAF navigates this significant proposal amid concerns of transparency and financial interests, the outcome of their upcoming Executive Committee meeting may shape the future of football governance on the continent.
Source: Legit.ng
