FIFA has announced details of the increased football development spending that Gianni Infantino promised to national associations (NA) ahead of his successful election as FIFA’s new President. Each NA will now receive US$5 million per four-year cycle, up from $1.6 million previously. Each of the six football confederations will now receive $40 million per four-year cycle, up from $22 million.

Present at the launch of the enhanced FIFA development programme was Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa. Earlier this year, he faced allegations that he had diverted money from FIFA’s old GOAL Project to fund a 2009 campaign to be elected to FIFA’s Executive Committee. FIFA’s GOAL Project allowed developing countries to apply for a FIFA grant to develop facilities, however there is evidence that development money did not always end up being spent on the intended facilities. Pakistani journalist Umaid Wasim showed delegates at PlayTheGame 2015 that only two of eight facilities financed with GOAL Project money had been completed.

Of the eight projects awarded to Pakistan, only one has been completed!

— Umaid Wasim (@UmaidWasim) May 16, 2016

As part of its new development programme, FIFA has also introduced its Forward Regulations, which are designed to provide more transparency about how football development cash is spent. The regulations will require member associations and confederations to have their annual financial statements independently audited, which will also be published on FIFA’s internet site.