Tapia meets Infantino in Zurich as FIFA Council eyes 2030 World Cup slots

Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), met Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, in Zurich, Switzerland, hours before a Thursday session of the FIFA Council. The encounter was framed by anticipation that the council could decide on expanding the allocation of places for the 2030 World Cup.

Meeting and public reaction

Tapia posted a photograph of the meeting on his social media, thanking his counterpart for the welcome. He wrote, “In Zurich, Switzerland, awaiting a new session of the FIFA Council. Thank you, dear president Gianni Infantino, for the reception.” The image underscored the diplomatic tone of the discussion.

Financial proposal behind the agenda

Infantino is set to present a US$6 billion development fund for the 2027‑2030 period to the council. The plan would allocate US$25 million to each of FIFA’s 211 member associations, more than double the US$10 million originally envisaged. Additionally, each of the six confederations would receive just over US$170 million.

To finance the increase, FIFA would draw US$3.65 billion from its reserves, bolstered by revenue from the 2026 North American World Cup, while the remaining US$2.7 billion would come from the already‑budgeted Forward 4.0 development programme.

The proposal follows the abandonment of the FIFA Forward Enterprise project, which had aimed to involve private capital in FIFA tournaments. Instead, Infantino is pushing a redistribution of resources ahead of the organisation’s presidential election scheduled for 18 March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco.

According to the details obtained by, the fund would be split into three equal parts: one third for women’s and youth football, one third for infrastructure, and the final third for projects defined by each federation.

The FIFA Council will refine the plan and work on implementation details until December 2026, with final approval expected at the 77th FIFA Congress in March 2027.