FIFA

FIFA, or Fédération Internationale de Football Association, is the international governing body of football, futsal, and beach soccer. It oversees the global administration of the sport, coordinates international competitions, and works with the International Football Association Board to maintain the laws of the game. Founded in 1904, FIFA was established in Paris by seven national associations: France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Its headquarters are in Zurich, Switzerland. Today FIFA has 211 member associations from six continental confederations.

The organization is led by the Congress, the supreme legislative body, and the Council, the principal executive decision-making body. Between Congress sessions, the President and the General Secretariat manage day-to-day operations, supported by various committees and regional bodies. FIFA’s revenue mainly comes from the FIFA World Cup through media rights, sponsorship, and licensing, with funds distributed to member associations to support development, refereeing, and youth programs.

The World Cup is FIFA’s flagship event, held every four years for men since 1930 and for women since 1991. In addition to the World Cup, FIFA organizes several other world championships, including the Women's World Cup, the FIFA U-17 and U-20 World Cups, the Futsal World Cup, and the Beach Soccer World Cup, as well as regional competitions. In recent years FIFA has pursued governance reforms in response to corruption investigations, introducing enhanced ethics oversight and leadership changes aimed at improving transparency, accountability, and development across member associations.