In light of the commercial success of FIFA’s leading men’s tournament, the FIFA Council decided to increase the resources allocated to all 48 participating teams by an additional 15%, amounting to $871 million. This increased fund will be distributed as follows.
The updated mechanism raises preparation funding from $1.5 million to $2.5 million, adjusts qualification payments from $9 million to $10 million, and introduces over $16 million in delegation subsidies and improved ticketing support for teams.
The remaining revenues will continue to be reinvested into global football for the benefit of all 211 FIFA Member Associations.
“FIFA takes pride in achieving its strongest financial standing ever, allowing us to support all our Member Associations in an unprecedented manner. This exemplifies how FIFA’s resources are reinvested back into the sport,” said President Gianni Infantino.
Afghan Women’s Refugee Team to compete in FIFA competitions
Following the establishment of the Afghan Women’s Refugee Team and their debut during the FIFA Unites, Women’s Series 2025, the FIFA Council has agreed to modify the FIFA Governance Regulations to permit the team’s participation in official FIFA competitions.
“We celebrate the inspiring journey initiated by Afghan Women United, and through this initiative, we aim to empower them, as well as other FIFA Member Associations that may not be able to register a national or representative team for a FIFA competition, to move forward, in coordination with the relevant confederation,” Infantino stated.
Adjustments to yellow-card reset at FIFA World Cup 2026
Reflecting the updated format with an additional knockout round, the FIFA Council has confirmed a change to the Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 2026, whereby single yellow cards issued in the final competition will be annulled after the group stage and again after the quarter-finals.
The FIFA Council has also designated Armenia and Georgia as the hosts for the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2029. Additionally, the United States, particularly Miami, has been confirmed as the host for the final phase of the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, scheduled to take place from 27 to 31 January next year. The corresponding regulations for the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup were approved, along with confirmation that the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026™, set to occur in Qatar, will take place from 19 November to 13 December this year.
The following competition dates were noted in the Men’s International Match Calendar: AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 from 7 January to 5 February 2027; Concacaf Gold Cup 2027 from 19 June to 11 July 2027; CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 from 19 June to 17 July 2027.
In accordance with the FIFA Statutes and relevant regulations, it was confirmed that the FIFA presidential election for the 2027-2031 term will occur at the 77th FIFA Congress in 2027, with the electoral period commencing on 30 April 2026.
The FIFA Council also unanimously approved a consultation process with all pertinent stakeholders for a regulatory requirement mandating that senior club teams must always have at least one homegrown player from the U-20 or U-21 category on the field, with the proposal to be submitted to the FIFA Council in the coming year.
