FIFA gives $250K annually to member nations plus $300K bonus

FIFA is giving each football nation an extra US$300,000 as a share of profits from the 2010 World Cup.

FIFA said Friday that the payment is in addition to the $250,000 every country gets annually toward its football development and running costs. Brunei is currently suspended and is the only one of FIFA's 208 members excluded.

Each of FIFA's six continental confederations gets an extra $2.5 million (euro1.8 million).

"This decision by the FIFA executive committee has been made possible thanks to the oustanding success of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, which led to a very good financial result for FIFA for the entire 2007-2010 period," the governing body said in a statement.

FIFA's annual financial report due in March is expected to reveal total commercial revenues of around $3.4 billion (euro2.5 bllion) for the four-year cycle.

FIFA announced the first round of bonuses to the 11-nation Oceania confederation at its congress in American Samoa this month.

"The funds are to be invested first and foremost in the development of football and to enable FIFA member associations to take part in FIFA copetitions," the statement said.

FIFA also gave bonuses of $250,000 last year which were agreed at its congress in Johannesburg on the eve of the World Cup in South Africa.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter stands for re-election on June 1 for a fourth four-year term in office.

No challenger has yet declared his intention to run against Blatter. The deadline for candidates is April 1.

/via Associated Press (1/28/2011)