FIFA Soccer Facts

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association or International Federation of Association Football, aka FIFA, is the international governing organization of soccer. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, FIFA sets and upholds a standard in soccer rules and regulations and acts as a mechanism for the coordination of international soccer tournaments, including the World Cup. In recent years, FIFA has broadened its role as a global leader in charitable giving and community relations through the establishment of various soccer-related social programs.

  1. History

    • FIFA was founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris. Representatives from football associations in attendance included France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Among the initial motions set at FIFA's initial meeting were the exclusive recognition of the inaugural members as soccer's governing body and a basic set of rules establishing association play. In 1914, the International Olympic Committee decided to operate the Olympic soccer tournament utilizing the rules and regulations established by the new international governing body.

    Member Associations

    • Between 1975 and 2002, more than 60 soccer associations were accepted as FIFA members. As of 2010, there are 208 FIFA member nations. North American member associations include the Canadian Soccer Association, the U.S. Soccer Federation and the Federation of Mexican Football Associations. Member associations are geared with upholding FIFA statutes, aims and ideals of soccer promotion and management. FIFA provides financial and logistical support to member associations through a wide variety of grant programs.

    World Cup

    • The success of the Olympic soccer tournaments of the early 20th century was the catalyst for FlFA's desire to implement its own world championship tournament. The first FIFA international tournament, the World Cup, was held in Uruguay in 1930. The host country defeated Argentina in the first World Cup final. Held every four years, the World Cup has since evolved into one of the most highly anticipated and most watched sporting events in the world. In 1991, a FIFA Women's World Cup was established with an inaugural tournament held in China. The United States was the first Women's World Cup champion.

    FIFA 'Grassroots'

    • The FIFA "Grassroots" program is a collaborative effort between FIFA member organizations and a wide variety of international business partners aimed at providing funding to promote human values through the game of soccer to children throughout the world. The program is designed to promote teamwork, fairness and exercise for boys and girls 6 to 12 years in age and is open to schools, local community organizations and youth sports clubs.

    FIFA Games in Development

    • Today, FIFA also works with the development and global promotion of two soccer offshoots, namely Futsal and Beach Soccer. Futsal is a brand of soccer played with a smaller ball and played indoors. The inaugural FIFA Futsal World Cup was held in the Netherlands in 1989 and won by Brazil. FIFA also has gone to great length to promote beach soccer, a version of the game played on sand. The inaugural FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup was held in Brazil in 2005 and won by France.