FIFA

“The human warmth, the people you meet and the moments a FIFA World Cup provides are unforgettable.” 🙌 Meet Andrés, who volunteered at his second FIFA tournament at the recent FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024™️, having previously volunteered at the 2011 FIFA Men’s U-20 World Cup in Colombia. All of our FIFA tournaments around the world wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of volunteers such as Andrés behind the scenes. If you want to be part of any future tournaments, find out how you can volunteer here: https://lnkd.in/dTtECE3Y

Providing support to our Caribbean member associations 💪 This week, seven FIFA Caribbean Member Associations gathered in Miami for a first-of-its-kind FIFA event, designed to provide further assistance to improve the management and utilisation of funds under the FIFA Forward Programme.   Across the first two cycles of the FIFA Forward Programme, approximately USD 2.8 billion was made available for investment in FIFA’s 211 Member Associations, with around 80% of this investment going directly to the member associations themselves.   FIFA Director Member Associations Americas Jair Bertoni: “FIFA remains deeply committed to advancing football development across the Americas, ensuring that FIFA Forward Programme funds are effectively utilised in every region.   “We understand that some MAs still face challenges in allocating these funds, and we are dedicated to offering customised support to meet their specific needs. To help drive progress, we've introduced several solutions, including organising this work session in Miami. Their dedication to channelling Forward funds into meaningful football development projects is crucial for driving growth across the region."

Making strides with safeguarding in football 💪 As part of FIFA’s unwavering commitment to implementing prevention and response mechanisms so all players, coaches and officials can participate in football and futsal events free from the fear of harassment or abuse, FIFA continues to expand its safeguarding outreach at every tournament. Ahead of the ongoing FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024™, FIFA’s safeguarding team held team safeguarding welfare officer workshops to provide in-depth information on how they can recognise safeguarding concerns and support them in their role to ensure the welfare of their delegations. FIFA is also conducting surveys around the venues, aiming for safeguarding officers to speak to all accreditation holders, which will help to mitigate risk and reduce barriers to reporting by create interpersonal relationships with FIFA Venue Safeguarding Officers. Throughout the tournament, representatives are handing out stickers with QR codes with access to confidential reporting avenues, continuously working to break down the barriers to reporting that people may face.

The host cities and venues for next year’s FIFA Club World Cup have been revealed! 🇺🇸 The new 32-club tournament will be the most inclusive global club football competition ever, with 63 games being played across 12 stadiums over the course of 29 days. The tournament will kick off on Sunday, 15 June 2025, sparking 29 days of unmissable global club football, with the official FIFA Club World Champions to be crowned at MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey on 13 July 2025. The venue is joined by 11 more: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte), TQL Stadium (Cincinnati), Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), GEODIS Park (Nashville), Camping World Stadium (Orlando), Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia), Lumen Field (Seattle), and Audi Field (Washington, D.C.). Speaking at the unveiling, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “Football is the most popular sport on the planet, and in 2025 a new era for club football will kick off when FIFA stages the greatest, most inclusive and merit-based global club competition right here in the United States. “This new FIFA competition is the only true example in worldwide club football of real solidarity and inclusivity, allowing the best clubs from Africa, Asia, Central and North America and Oceania to play the powerhouses of Europe and South America in an incredible new World Cup which will impact enormously the growth of club football and talent globally.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/eyc-KVan

Supporting home-grown coaching talent across Europe! 💪 This week, Croatia hosted a landmark FIFA Coach Education Leaders Knowledge Exchange Programme, with HNS President Marian Kustić in attendance to welcome representatives of 28 different member associations across UEFA to Zagreb.   The four-day workshop covered topics such as strategic planning and the creation of coach development pathways, which are key for building a solid framework for the future of football in each participating nation.    Through these workshops, FIFA is committed to nurture and support home-grown coaching talent worldwide.    FIFA’s Head of Coaching Development Branimir Ujevic said: “FIFA aims to enhance the overall quality of coaching at both grassroots and elite levels. The collaboration between FIFA Technical Leadership and Coaching Development teams played a crucial role in providing the right tools and guidance for these leaders, ensuring they are well-prepared to implement effective coaching strategies in their home countries.”

Bringing member associations together through the FIFA Digital Skills Programme 🤝 A delegation from the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol visited KNVB this week as part of a unique knowledge-sharing that they won through the FIFA Digital Skills Programme for being the most active participant. The representatives from Federación Mexicana de Fútbol were given a tour of the KNVB campus on Monday and Tuesday, before travelling to Amsterdam to attend presentations and a tour of the Johan Cruyff arena before concluding their visit with the Nations League match between Netherlands and Germany. This initiative, part of FIFA+, FIFA's streaming platform, was launched in 2022 to help football professionals enhance their digital skills and foster collaboration among key stakeholders. Head of FIFA Digital Skills Ekta Mangal Hutton said: “We are thrilled to see the FMF leading the way in utilizing FIFA Digital Skills, powered by FIFA+, to enhance their football operations, and their visit to the KNVB Campus highlights just how important education and knowledge exchange are to strengthening the global football community.   “By learning from one another, we continue to grow the game globally, united the world through football, and achieve all new heights - particularly as we head towards the FIFA World Cup 2026, the biggest edition in history.    I want to thank both Member Associations for their participation and energy, and a special thanks to the KNVB for their hospitality - their continued collaboration is critical to our ongoing successes."

Meet Paola, Karen and Miguel Romero - the three siblings who volunteered together at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Colombia ❤️ The Romero siblings' love for football began when they were growing up in their home city of Villavicencio, around 110 kilometres from Bogotá. Fast forward to 2024 and the three siblings are supporting FIFA across different roles at the El Campín stadium in Bogotá — keen to show the rest of the world what Colombia has to offer.

Welcome on board, Verizon! 👋 The world-class network provider Verizon has been named the Official Telecommunication Services Sponsor for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States, as well as a Tournament Supporter in the USA for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup™ ! For the FIFA World Cup 26™, Verizon's connectivity services will play a vital role across stadiums, official sites and various parts of the tournament operations, in what is the first-ever deal between the two organisations. As an Official Tournament Supporter for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™ in the USA, Verizon will bring experiences for fans leading up to, during and after the games, including activations, unique giveaways, player meet-and-greets ahead of the tournament, and more. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: "Football unites the world, and to unite the world we need to ensure that everyone is connected. Verizon is joining us on this journey to make football truly global, and will create the network that brings fans, players, partners and media alike together in 2026. We believe in the power of unity and, together, we’re excited about how Verizon’s involvement in these two groundbreaking tournaments can help grow the global game.”

The FIFA Legal Handbook 2024 edition has now been published, providing valuable support to the football community at large. Since 2020, the FIFA Legal Handbook has featured a unique overview of the latest regulations, statutory documents and circulars issued by world football’s governing body. The FIFA Legal Handbook is available in English, French and Spanish on legal.fifa.com

Congratulations to Korea DPR — winners of FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Colombia 2024™! 🏆 Korea DPR were crowned champions of the tournament in Bogotá on Sunday night after beating Japan 1-0 in the final. Korea DPR join Germany and the USA as the only three-time champions at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup™. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “Congratulations to Korea DPR on winning the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup for the third time and to Japan for a fourth successive podium finish. "A big thank you to everyone at the Colombian Football Association for organising this special celebration of football and to all Colombians for showering us with your passionate support. Well done to all the teams for playing your part in the continuous growth of women's football - Colombia 2024 has shown once again that Football Unites The World.”