The Philippine Football Federation received a total of $11.4-million from FIFA, the world governing body of the sport, in support of its activities from 2023 to 2026.
The FIFA Council said this in its financial report when they met in Zurich on Thursday and unanimously approved the Annual Report for 2023.
Assistance from FIFA came from the $11 billion that the football body earned from the 2022 FIFA World Cup for men and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“Thanks to its solid financial governance, FIFA is well on track to exceed its budgetary target of $11 billion for the 2023-2026 cycle. This means that we will be able to deliver more tailored services for our 211 member associations to assist them in realizing their development and education projects and taking football to the next level,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino, following the meeting held virtually from Zurich, Switzerland.
A big chunk of the funds were spend in 2022 with the historic qualification of the PH women’s team for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023, with assistance reaching $0.6 million.
And then, in July of the same year, the PFF, then under the leadership of then president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta, opened their new headquarters in Carmona, Cavite.
The new building, which received part of funding amounting to $3.7 million, is supposed to replace the old FIFA-funded offices in Pasig City.
The new 4,231 sq. meter complex in Carmona, Cavite got financial support from FIFA through the FIFA Forward Programme 2.0.
The five-storey building will be located within the 900 meters of the FIFA-funded artificial turf pitch at the PFF national training centre.
The facility will provide for the growing demands of football development in the country, and give the PFF enough space to expand its administration in a modern, high-quality working environment.
The FIFA launched its program in 2016, with the FIFA Forward Development Program’s first two cycles (2016-2022) doling approximately $2.8 billion in development funds for investment to member associations from developing countries.
The PFF, before new president John Gutierrez came aboard, spent $5.5 million for its operational costs, $4.3 million on projects, $1.3 million in equipment, and $400,000 on equipment.
A third cycle is under way, according to the FIFA Council, with record investment in football development, set at $2.25 billion, which is earmarked for 2023 to 2026, as part of the FIFA Forward 3.0 Program.
Infrastructure development across the Asian Football Confederation involved some 112 pitches, which were laid out among the 96 infrastructure projects carried out by member associations in the regions.