Multiple US cities that hosted World Cup matches are seeking millions of dollars they believe FIFA, world football's governing body, promised them, The Athletic has reported.
Four executives from World Cup cities, speaking anonymously, told the outlet on Tuesday that FIFA management told them they would each receive $1 million in "legacy" funds to build football-related infrastructure and support "social projects".
The Athletic reported that officials from the cities had requested the payments after Gianni Infantino, head of global football's governing body, announced such payments to host cities of the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States.
"According to four executives at US host city committees, all of whom asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships, FIFA management repeatedly assured the cities they would receive the same $1 million contribution towards legacy, despite no public statement ever being made by the organisation," The Athletic wrote.
"The four executives said this promise was made verbally by members of FIFA's senior management, and reiterated to cities in meetings, but it has not been paid, meaning several cities are now asking FIFA staff for updates on the payments."
The US cities of Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Kansas City, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Miami, Boston and New York/New Jersey were among the host venues for the World Cup held in the US, Canada and Mexico.
The 39-day tournament, expanded to 48 teams for the first time, has contributed to record FIFA revenues reportedly hitting $15 billion for the revenue cycle of 2023-26.
The report is the latest setback for Infantino, who is under fire from European confederation UEFA and some of its counterparts.
Pressure from within
The pressure on Infantino also comes from within FIFA, over his since-abandoned proposal to open the World Cup to private investment.
In other developments, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, appointed in 2019 by Infantino as FIFA's chief of global football development, said in a statement that "the decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question".
His remarks followed hot on the heels of an extraordinary internal email to FIFA staff, seen by AFP news agency, in which secretary-general Mattias Grafstrom appeared to distance himself from Infantino on the issue.
Previously seen as close to Infantino, Grafstrom describes the fiasco surrounding the plan as "a sad and reproachable series of events".
He adds: "Individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go. The institution, its mission and its responsibility towards world football continue."
Fading support
Far from calming the waters, Infantino has been swamped with criticism of his style of leadership and a previously smooth path to being re-elected unopposed to a fourth and final term next March in Rabat now looks a very rocky one indeed.
He has reportedly summoned FIFA staff to a crisis meeting in the Moroccan capital.
Several of UEFA's member associations — Wales, Finland, Sweden and Serbia — have withdrawn their letters of support for Infantino and the English FA is strongly rumoured to be on the verge of also joining them.
Jordanian FA president Prince Ali bin Hussein, twice a FIFA presidential candidate, accused FIFA of "blackmail" in a remarkable statement.
"It is clear the problem really is with leadership," Prince Ali said on X.
"For months, FIFA has been refusing to help us on any of these or other matters- until it was verbally communicated to me during the World Cup that if I endorsed Infantino it would go a long way to helping our FA out."
"We pride ourselves in Jordan in upholding ethical values. We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now. But the whole situation amounts to blackmail, and we refuse to give in to that."
The federation had complained about not being paid for Jordan's run to last year's FIFA Arab Cup final, and about its team's fans not being given visas to watch their World Cup debut in the United States.
