ZURICH (DA) — The Curaçao Football Federation (FFK) would receive $25 million for football development from 2027 through 2030 under a proposal agreed to by the FIFA Council at its meeting Thursday, Oct. 15, at FIFA headquarters in Zurich.
The plan still requires final approval at the FIFA Congress in March 2027. It would provide the same allocation to each of FIFA’s 211 member associations.
For the Curaçao Football Federation, the funding could support women’s and youth football, improve football facilities and help finance projects that take several years to develop. These are the areas FIFA said will guide how the money is distributed.
The $25 million would cover the full four-year period. To receive funding, the FFK would have to meet FIFA’s requirements for applications, approval and financial oversight.
Called the FIFA Surplus Solidarity Programme, the initiative would use part of FIFA’s reserves following the financial returns from the 48-team 2026 World Cup.
It would more than double FIFA’s planned development funding for 2027-2030 to $6.35 billion. That total includes support for national associations, confederations, regional football bodies and other organizations.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the Council had agreed to the proposal, with the details to be completed before it goes to Congress.
FIFA committees will work out the rules for qualifying, applying for and receiving the money, as well as the checks on how it is spent. The Council is scheduled to finalize the plan at its next meeting in December before submitting it with the budget for Congress approval.
FIFA expects a surplus of between $5.2 billion and $5.6 billion for the 2023-2026 cycle, although those figures have not yet been audited. Under the proposal, it would keep $1.7 billion in reserves for unexpected needs while using part of its reserves to increase investment in football.