Nigeria set for ₦27.3bn windfall under FIFA plan, says ex-NFF chief Pinnick

Nigeria would receive around ₦27.3bn under FIFA’s controversial plan to sell a minority stake in a new commercial company, according to former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick, who has publicly backed Gianni Infantino’s proposal.

Pinnick, now Deputy Chairperson of the FIFA Men’s National Teams Competitions Committee, defended the FIFA president as he faces mounting global criticism over a project that would partially privatise revenues from the World Cup and Club World Cup.

FIFA is seeking approval from its 211 member associations for the creation of a new entity, FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE), which would take over all of the organisation’s commercial operations. While FIFA would retain majority control, a significant minority share would be sold to private investors.

Under the proposal, each member association would see its grant rise from the current $8m per four-year cycle to $20m in the next cycle. Using that figure, Pinnick says Nigeria’s share would be in the region of ₦27.3bn at current exchange rates.

Funding surge mapped out to 2038

The plan, outlined in a proposal circulated to all FIFA members earlier this week, sets out a long-term escalation of payments.

Member associations are projected to receive $20m each in the first four-year period after the new structure is introduced, rising to $22m per nation for the 2031–34 cycle and $24m for 2035–38 – three times the current level of funding.

Supporters of the project, including Pinnick, argue that the extra income would be transformative for many federations that struggle with chronic funding shortages and infrastructure deficits.

He insists the initiative would “fetch significant funding for football associations that are often cash-strapped”, positioning it as a financial lifeline rather than a sell-off of the sport’s crown jewels.

Criticism over ‘selling the World Cup’

However, Infantino’s move has triggered strong opposition across parts of the global game, with some fans and federation leaders accusing him of “selling the World Cup” and over-commercialising international football.

According to The Athletic, FFE would oversee all commercial activities linked to FIFA, including the World Cup and Club World Cup – the organisation’s most lucrative properties. That concentration of rights in a part-privatised vehicle has alarmed critics who fear it could dilute FIFA’s long-term authority over its own competitions.

UEFA, European football’s governing body, has emerged as a key opponent. Reports suggest UEFA officials are considering forms of resistance that amount to a boycott of FIFA over the proposal, underlining the seriousness of the rift at the top of the sport’s administration.

Some federation presidents and supporters’ groups argue that ceding a stake to private capital could ultimately backfire, locking FIFA into commercial arrangements that prioritise profit over sporting considerations and weakening its control over the global calendar.

Investor links scrutinised

The proposed investor group has also come under the microscope. Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner – who is married to Ivanka Trump, daughter of former United States president Donald Trump – is reported to play a prominent role in Thrive Eternal, one of the firms lined up to back FFE.

That connection has added a political and ethical dimension to an already sensitive debate about private equity in football’s most powerful governing body.

Infantino, whose handling of the expanded and much-criticised 2026 World Cup has already polarised opinion, now finds himself at the centre of a new storm just weeks after that tournament concluded.

Decision deadline set

Despite the backlash, the FIFA president retains influential allies such as Pinnick, who has been a consistent supporter both during and after his tenure as NFF boss.

All 211 FIFA member associations have been given until 19 September to formally accept or reject the FFE blueprint. The outcome of that vote will decide whether the governing body proceeds with a structural shift that could reshape how the World Cup and Club World Cup are commercialised for the next decade and beyond.

Until then, the future of Infantino’s flagship reform – and the promised $20m-per-nation grants, including the projected ₦27.3bn for Nigeria – remains uncertain.