The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, often known by its acronym FIFA, is the global governing body for association football. The organization’s French name is linked here as Fédération Internationale de Football Association, and it oversees the sport commonly called football or soccer in many countries. FIFA was founded on 21 May 1905 in Paris and now maintains its principal offices in Zürich, Switzerland. Its membership comprises national associations from most FIFA-recognized territories; the organization operates in four official languages and is led by an elected president, currently Gianni Infantino, who has served since February 2016.

Purpose and functions

FIFA’s core responsibility is to organize and promote football at an international level. This includes the administration of major global competitions, the setting of international match calendars in cooperation with regional bodies, the management of development and training programs for players and officials, and the allocation of financial support to member associations. FIFA also publishes the FIFA World Rankings for national teams and supports technical and refereeing standards, while the Laws of the Game themselves are maintained by the International Football Association Board, of which FIFA is a member.

Structure and governance

The supreme legislative body of FIFA is its Congress, an assembly in which each member association has a vote. The Congress approves constitutional changes, accepts new members and elects the president and senior officials. Day-to-day administration is handled by the President and the General Secretary, with strategic decisions taken by an executive body (often referred to as the Council or executive committee) that decides on tournament formats, dates and host selections.

Regional confederations

To manage football across different continents, FIFA recognizes six regional confederations. Membership in both FIFA and the relevant confederation is required for national teams to take part in FIFA competitions. The six confederations are:

  • AFC — Asian Football Confederation (Asia and Australia)
  • CAF — Confédération Africaine de Football (Africa)
  • CONCACAF — Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (North and Central America, Caribbean)
  • CONMEBOL — Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (South America)
  • OFC — Oceania Football Confederation (Oceania)
  • UEFA — Union of European Football Associations (Europe)

Competitions and development programs

The most prominent competition organized by the federation is the men’s FIFA World Cup, first held in 1930 and widely regarded as one of the world’s largest sporting events; for more on the event, see FIFA World Cup. FIFA also stages the FIFA Women’s World Cup, various youth tournaments (under-20, under-17), international club competitions, and world championships in futsal and beach soccer. Beyond tournaments, FIFA runs coaching and refereeing education initiatives, funds infrastructure projects in member countries, coordinates global match calendars and implements programs aimed at grassroots growth, inclusion and integrity.

History, reform and public role

From its foundation in the early 20th century, FIFA’s remit expanded alongside the global spread of association football. Over decades the body increased its membership, introduced new competitions, and grew into a major international organization with broad cultural and commercial influence. Like many large institutions, FIFA has faced public scrutiny and legal investigations relating to governance and commercial practices; such events have prompted internal reforms intended to increase transparency, strengthen compliance and improve accountability. FIFA continues to play a central role in shaping how the sport is played, regulated and marketed around the world.

Notable distinctions

Membership rules and confederation structures mean that national federations must be affiliated at both the regional and global level to participate in official competitions. FIFA’s decisions — on tournament hosts, competition formats and disciplinary matters — have substantial sporting, economic and social effects in member countries. For general information about the organization and its public documents, consult official materials and recognized summaries provided by national associations and independent observers.

For further reading or source references, see organizational statements and official pages linked through national associations and the federations’ own publications.

FIFA (French name) • Association football • Zürich • Switzerland • FIFA World Cup • Paris • Gianni Infantino