Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
UEFA launched the HatTrick program in 2004 to redistribute revenue from the men’s EURO to its member associations, enabling reinvestment in football development. This includes stadiums, training centres, pitches, and the implementation of UEFA standards across integrity, coaching, youth development, grassroots, women's football, governance, refereeing, and social responsibility.
Renewed every four years to align with the EURO final tournaments, the program is one of the largest solidarity initiatives in sport. As of June 2024, after five cycles, HatTrick has allocated a total of €2.6 billion towards development activities, highlighting UEFA's commitment to investing a significant portion of net income from its competitions back into football at all levels.
The sixth HatTrick cycle, running from July 2024 to June 2028, redistributes income generated by EURO 2024. This cycle’s budget is €935 million, a 21% increase from the previous cycle. Each UEFA member association is eligible to receive up to €17 million during this period, potentially raising HatTrick's total investment in European football development to €3.5 billion by 2028.
HatTrick funds are allocated in three ways: a strategic investment fund of about €5 million every four years per association, annual solidarity payments of about €1 million for operating costs, and incentive payments of up to €2 million annually for adherence to UEFA initiatives. These cover participation in youth, women’s, futsal, and amateur competitions, club licensing and monitoring, governance, grassroots programs, women’s football development, coaching, and refereeing conventions.
The HatTrick Committee assesses funding applications, establishes agreements upon approval, and monitors project implementation to ensure effective use of resources in line with each association's strategic goals.