The Football Association of Maldives (FAM) could receive USD 25 million (approximately MVR 386 million) over four years under a proposed USD 6.35 billion FIFA development fund.
The proposal would provide USD 25 million to each of FIFA’s 211 member associations, including FAM, according to AFP, which cited a source close to the matter. The package would also support football’s regional confederations.
The allocation would represent a substantial boost for Maldivian football as FAM works to restore financial stability following the misuse of funds under its former leadership.
In September, FIFA banned former FAM president Bassam Adeel Jaleel from football for life for misusing FIFA COVID-19 relief funds for his personal benefit. Former finance and administration director Mohamed Ageel received a 10-year ban for facilitating and concealing the misuse of FIFA funds.
The proposed development package is expected to be considered at today’s FIFA Council meeting in Zurich. The funding remains subject to approval, with payment schedules and conditions for its use yet to be confirmed.
AFP reported that FIFA would finance the fund partly from its reserves following the commercial success of the 2026 World Cup. The proposal was first reported by the Associated Press.
The funding discussions follow the collapse of an earlier initiative backed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to attract private investment into FIFA’s commercial operations, including rights associated with the World Cup.
That proposal was abandoned following widespread opposition, led by UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation.
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani subsequently called for each member association to receive at least USD 10 million from FIFA’s reserves during the 2027–2030 cycle, in addition to existing development funding. The proposed USD 25 million allocation would substantially exceed that request.
The proposal comes as Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, seeks re-election in March 2027. His critics have yet to unite behind a challenger, with the deadline for presidential nominations set for November 18.
