\n<\/p>\n
While Uefa members are among the richest on the planet, many other nations rely on Fifa funding for basic infrastructure.<\/p>\n
While the AFC opposes Infantino’s plan, unlike Uefa it has not threatened to boycott Fifa competitions. AFC members would not be obliged to vote against the proposals. <\/p>\n
Rogers Byamukama, of the Ugandan Football Federation, argued any avenue that could lead to more resources for nations like his should be explored.<\/p>\n
“First and foremost, you need to understand that football is a very expensive venture, especially on the African continent where the resources are not easy to come by,” he told Newsday on BBC World Service.<\/p>\n
“For instance in Uganda, the number of infrastructure projects that have been funded by Fifa from the resources generated by Fifa, especially at the World Cup, both from ticket sales as well as sponsors.<\/p>\n
“On top of that, there are many grassroots programmes that have been funded by Fifa, including schools for football.<\/p>\n
“From my perspective, any avenue that brings in more resources is good because those resources would be distributed and given to federations, especially on the African continent and that would inspire growth.”<\/p>\n
Byamukama acknowledged Uefa’s right to speak out, but suggested its members were not reliant on Fifa funding like many associations in the rest of the world where Infantino remains popular.<\/p>\n
In the first two cycles of the Fifa Forward development programme, through to 2022, $2.8bn (\u00a32.08bn) was made available for investment across the 211 member associations.<\/p>\n
Fifa Forward 3.0 – covering the years 2023 through to 2026 – has produced a 30% increase in funding.<\/p>\n
Fifa has provided a further $5m (\u00a33.7m) for every member association, with another $60m (\u00a344.48m) paid to each confederation for their own projects.<\/p>\n
After expanding the men’s World Cup to 48 teams from 32 for the 2026 edition, Fifa is seeking an independent agency to assess an expansion to 64 teams for the 2030 tournament.<\/p>\n
The timeline on documents seen by BBC Sport said Fifa would receive agency proposals by 7 August, with a Fifa decision on 14 August. Delivery of analysis by the agency is then scheduled for 11 September.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n