FIFA President Gianni Infantino (R) with Saudi officials
FIFA on Monday announced a major new partnership with Saudi Arabia, unveiling a stadium-financing initiative worth up to $1 billion to support infrastructure development in member countries.
The agreement, signed with the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), will offer subsidised loans to football associations seeking to build or upgrade stadium facilities.
The move further deepens the global football body’s growing financial ties with Saudi Arabia, which is set to host the men’s FIFA World Cup for the first time in 2034.
The kingdom has increasingly expanded its influence across international sports, including heavy investment in golf, boxing and global media platforms.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino described the funding programme as “a crucial step in ensuring our FIFA Member Associations have the facilities to make football truly global,” adding during a ceremony in Zurich that infrastructure development is essential for the sport’s growth. He publicly thanked the SFD for enabling the partnership.
According to FIFA, the initiative reflects a shared commitment to help developing nations strengthen their sports ecosystems and advance broader social and economic progress.
Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development, said the collaboration merges FIFA’s technical expertise with Saudi Arabia’s development-finance capabilities.
“We believe in the power of sports to change lives,” he said. “We are investing in infrastructure that will unlock human potential, create jobs, empower youth and support communities for generations.”
The latest investment comes amid a series of high-profile Saudi ventures in global sport. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has bankrolled the LIV Golf tour and hosted major boxing events, while state oil giant Aramco recently signed on as a sponsor for the 2026 World Cup.
In late 2024, FIFA also finalized a worldwide broadcast agreement for the Club World Cup with streaming platform DAZN—just days before selecting Saudi Arabia as the 2034 World Cup host.
Reports of a Saudi investment of roughly $1 billion into DAZN were confirmed several weeks later, further highlighting the kingdom’s expanding role in international sports and media.