FIFA no longer ‘toxic’ as World Cup prize money rises to US$400m

KOLKATA: FIFA leader Gianni Infantino insisted Friday that football’s world body is no longer a “toxic” brand shunned because of scandals that embroiled past leaders.

Infantino hailed the increase to US$400 million in prize money for next year’s World Cup in Russia – including US$38 million for the winning team – as a sign of FIFA’s success.

The US$48 million increase from 2014 and toughened bid rules for the 2026 tournament were both agreed by FIFA’s ruling council at a meeting in Kolkata.

The increase is “a positive sign in terms of the healthy financial situation of FIFA,” said Infantino who took over from the scandaltainted Sepp Blatter in February last year.

Infantino said bidding regulations for future World Cups have to be “bullet-proof” after the past scandal that saw FIFA lose sponsors.

“The bidding regulations are of course a milestone in not only FIFA’s history but I think in the history of sports organisations in the way bidding processes are conducted,” said Infantino.

The changes will mean the rival offers by a joint US/Canada and Mexico bid and from Morocco will face greater scrutiny from an independent external auditor.

The bids and the FIFA evaluation committee will also face new restrictions on their activities.

Infantino said the new rules were needed after the 2015 scandal involving former FIFA leaders.

“We want to make sure that the bidding process for 2026 is absolutely bullet proof,” he said. — AFP