FIFA has proposed a new global funding plan that could see the Nigeria Football Federation receive up to $20 million as part of a wider investment package targeting all 211 of its member associations.

The proposal includes an optional one-off $20 million allocation per association under a new FIFA Fast Forward Programme, aimed at funding stadiums, national training centres, and other long-term football infrastructure projects.

Beyond that immediate allocation, member associations would also see their regular FIFA Forward funding rise to $20 million each for the 2027–2030 cycle, up sharply from the current $8 million. The figure would climb further to $22 million for 2031–2034 and $24 million for 2035–2038.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the plan as a step toward giving national federations more control over their own development. 

"Every FIFA Member Association should have an opportunity to seek a fair share of the available funding to shape its own future, deciding for itself rather than relying on others. This is about the democratisation of football worldwide," he said.

FIFA would retain sole control of a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, consolidating its commercial and event operations, along with exclusive authority over governance, competitions, match calendars, and regulatory decisions. FIFA is also planning to sell a minority stake in its commercial operations to private investors, aiming to raise $4.2 billion based on an estimated $20 billion valuation — a clause that has already drawn pushback, notably from UEFA.

If approved, FIFA's total development funding commitment would exceed $10 billion over four years, which the organisation is calling the largest such commitment by any global sports body. 

FIFA pointed to the 2026 World Cup as justification, noting that Cabo Verde and Curaçao both qualified for the first time following earlier rounds of development investment.