Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Other 2018 World Cup Teams To Pocket $400 million – FIFA

ISRAEL TAIWO

For making it to the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup, Nigeria’s Super Eagles and other 31 teams across the globe will be given a total sum of $400 million by the world football governing body, FIFA.

This was the outcome of the meeting of FIFA Strategic Body which met in Kolkata, India on Thursday.

P.M.EXPRESS can report that there was an increase of 12 percent in the total prize money for next year’s World Cup, as the qualifying teams received the sum of $358 million at the last World Cup in Brazil.

Though FIFA has not made public details of the distribution of the new prize money, PM EXPRESS can report that in 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the winners, Germany got $35m, while the runners up, Argentina received $25m. The quarter finalists were given $14m, while teams that were eliminated at the group stage pocketed $8m each. Teams that made it to the Round of 16 received $9m each. Nigeria were inclusive in that stage.

Other consideration of the meeting was the approval of the FIFA tournament dates. These include FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018: 5 to 24 August 2018, FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Uruguay 2018: 13 November to 1 December 2018, FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018: 12 to 22 December 2018 and FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™: 7 June to 7 July 2019.

The meeting also rectified the decision of the Bureau of the Council of 6 September 2017 to approve the enhanced Bidding Regulations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, and appointed the members of the Bid Evaluation Task Force.

According to the Bidding Regulations, the Task Force must be composed of the chairpersons of the Audit & Compliance Committee and the Governance Committee – in this case, Tomaz Vesel and Mukul Mudgal respectively – as well as a member of the Organising Committee for Competitions (Ilco Gjorgioski was appointed), together with experts from the administration: Deputy Secretaries General Zvonimir Boban (football) and Marco Villiger (administration).

FIFA. com reports that the meeting in Kolkata covered a wide array of topics and saw the FIFA Council passing a number of important decisions, including the following:

· Establishment of the FIFA Foundation, with the purpose of providing a solid legal and institutional basis for FIFA’s social development initiatives. One of the core intentions of the FIFA Foundation will be to institutionalise a commitment of the FIFA Legends to engage in such activities and act as promoters of FIFA’s aims and objectives related to social development.

The FIFA Foundation should be operational by the first quarter of 2018 and will initially comprise the FIFA President and two members of the FIFA Council, Sonia Bien-Aime and Kwesi Nyantakyi. Later in the year, the FIFA Council will appoint a selection of respected personalities – from football and other areas of society – as additional members of the Foundation Board.

Decision to engage in a consultation phase to discuss a review of FIFA’s women’s, youth and club tournaments. A number of different draft formats will be submitted for discussion with the member associations at the FIFA Executive Football Summits, as well as with the confederations and other relevant stakeholders. Final concepts are planned to be submitted to the FIFA Council for approval during the body’s next meeting, on 15 and 16 March 2018 in Bogota, Colombia.

Adoption of the International Transfer Matching System for professional women’s football as of 1 January 2018. The regulatory mechanism will enable FIFA to monitor the international movements and transfer market, bringing more transparency to the women’s game and enhancing its level of professionalism.

Recognition of all European and South American teams that won the Intercontinental Cup – played between 1960 and 2004 – as club world champions.