FIFA

FIFA will open a global dialogue on the transfer system, involving key stakeholders, to adapt article 17 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP). This announcement follows on from the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union on the Diarra case and is in line with FIFA’s strategic objective to further improve the transfer system, on which significant progress has been made since 2016. “FIFA looks forward to developing its regulatory framework further, obviously taking into account views and input from all relevant and affected parties,” said FIFA Chief Legal & Compliance Officer Emilio Garcia Silvero. “FIFA sees the Diarra decision as an opportunity to keep modernising its regulatory framework, which has been one of the declared objectives of the FIFA President since 2016."

“This is one of the greatest things in my life.” ❤️ At the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan – the first-ever FIFA tournament to be hosted in Central Asia – volunteers like Rustam have been central to the smooth running of the event. The FIFA Volunteer Programme provides opportunities to bring energetic and passionate people from diverse backgrounds together at FIFA events all around the world, all working towards a common goal. As well as enabling people to make new friends and build their network, volunteering provides individuals with the chance to strengthen their local community, be ambassadors for their country and learn new skills. Hear Rustam's story:

Discussing the future of global sport in Porto! 💡   Earlier this week, FIFA participated in the 18th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers Responsible for Sport in Porto.   More than 200 dignitaries attended the conference, including Sport Ministers and representatives from over 40 countries as well as NGOs and institutional partners from the sports movement, with conversations focused on how to achieve integrity, good governance and foster the representation of women in sport governance.    FIFA Senior International Relations & Public Affairs Manager Annaliza Tsakona, PhD attended and outlined a key area where cooperation between public authorities and the sports movement is of great importance: the fight to eliminate racism and discrimination in sport.   FIFA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Council of Europe in 2018 and remains committed to working together with political stakeholders to help leverage the power of sport to foster positive change globally.

Working on producing the best possible pitches for FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States 💪 This week, FIFA hosted its second Research Field Day event at Michigan State University (MSU) to meet with the teams working to ensure high quality pitches for FIFA World Cup 26™ venues and training sites. More than 40 specialised pitch managers, sod farmers and industry leaders came together at MSU, FIFA’s joint research collaborator alongside University of Tennessee (UT), to discuss best practices and new industry innovations. Since 2022, FIFA has been working with UT and MSU, two globally renowned research leaders who specialise in pitch management and player welfare, as part of an innovative five-year research and development project to deliver the largest ever sports turf research programme specifically for world football. FIFA Senior Pitch Management Manager Alan Ferguson said: "At this stage of the pitch preparations I am delighted with what the team have been able to research and already bring to life. "The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the biggest edition ever and our involvement in this will also be the biggest pitch delivery ever. We are fortunate to have so many of the top turf brains in the world working in country or remotely helping us along way."

Celebrating World Cotton Day in Benin 🌍 FIFA Director Member Associations Africa Gelson Fernandes travelled to Benin on World Cotton Day to reflect on the impact of the "Partenariat pour le Coton" initiative with key stakeholders. In 2022, FIFA and the World Trade Organization joined forces in order to use football as a tool to develop the cotton-textile industry in the countries of the Cotton-4+ programme, which is made up of Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad. During the trip, Fernandes also visited the President of Benin, Patrice Talon, to discuss the development of football in Africa, and Benin in particular. Fernandes said: “We are pleased to partner with the WTO and stakeholders from the "Partenariat pour le Coton" to leverage the power of football as a vehicle for positive change, with a focus on improving the lives of people, particularly youth and women in West and Central Africa”

Celebrating the annual FIFA Women's Corporate Football tournament! 🙌 The tournament returned for its fourth edition last month under a new format, with 50 women coming together for two days at the Home of FIFA in Zurich for two days of leadership growth, connection and fun. The event brought together employees from FIFA, UEFA, the KNVB (Netherlands), The Football Association (England) and DFB (Germany), who attended panel sessions on career pathways and safeguarding before taking part in the football tournament. FIFA Junior Football Technology Standards Manager Zeina Hamarsha, organiser of the event, said: “It was an exciting opportunity to connect with women in football and to build a support system with like-minded individuals across different associations. These events help in knowledge exchange and boosts confidence in social situations. And most importantly, a big thank you to the team behind the scenes that worked on making this happen!" Steph Powell, National Development Manager at The Football Association, said: "I have never been in a room of women that connected so quickly, shared so many similar views and experiences, share the same excitement for future development and have the same energy."

Welcoming our new Head of Women's Refereeing, Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb! 👋 A former FIFA referee, the German enjoyed a stellar refereeing career that saw her become the first woman to take charge of a final at both the FIFA Women's World Cup™ and the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. In her new role, Steinhaus-Webb will oversee and drive the further development of women’s refereeing at all levels, including across FIFA women’s competitions and educational initiatives, in cooperation with FIFA’s member associations and the confederations. Steinhaus-Webb said: "I’m thrilled to join FIFA and look forward to making a contribution to the steady growth of women’s refereeing. FIFA has shown a consistent commitment to taking refereeing to the next level as an integral part of the game, and it’s an honour for me to apply my experience and to support female referees across the world.” The chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina, commented: “Bibiana’s outstanding experience as a trailblazer of the game, coupled with her thorough understanding of the current challenges facing female referees, will help us massively to develop the next generation of elite female match officials.”

FIFA has launched an interactive tool to keep supporters updated on global transfer window periods across men’s, women’s and amateur football. The tool brings real-time information about transfer registration periods to fans around the world, with updates from FIFA’s 211 Member Associations providing accurate and comprehensive data on demand. Find out more here: https://fifa.fans/3ZU4Zb3

Congratulations to Brazil on winning the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024™! 🏆 Brazil were crowned champions of the tournament on Sunday after beating Argentina 2-1 in the final. The victory marks Brazil's first Futsal World Cup triumph in 12 years, with the team making history by securing a record-extending sixth title. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: "Congratulations to Brazil on winning the FIFA Futsal World Cup for a record sixth time and also to Argentina for playing a great tournament. "All participating teams as well as the fans in this beautiful country of Uzbekistan made this an extremely special tournament - one that I greatly enjoyed attending. "It's such a fantastic country, a football country, that has made us all feel at home. The organisation was spectacular, the venues were spectacular and we had great matches."

“This is something that I’ve dreamt about: to sing my anthem and finally, becoming the world champion.” ❤️ The 2024 edition of the Homeless World Cup concluded one week ago today. The tournament offers a unique experience to people in need and helps fight homelessness. It was the first tournament held since the Homeless World Cup Foundation and FIFA signed a memorandum of understanding. The tournament was broadcast on FIFA+ while FIFA supplied material and equipment, including medals, footballs and trophies. 450 players across 52 teams from 38 nations took part in this year’s edition in Seoul, Korea Republic. Mexico claimed victory in both the Men’s and Women’s tournament. Congratulations to everyone involved! 👏