How world soccer is governed: FIFA, UEFA and the balance of power
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and FIFA president Gianni Infantino pose for a photograph during the 50th Ordinary UEFA Congress in Brussels, Belgium in February of this year.Benoit Tessier/Reuters
FIFA’s plan to create a US$20-billion subsidiary to run the World Cup and sell minority stakes to external investors has highlighted the balance of power within world soccer.
While FIFA is the sport’s global governing body, much of football’s commercial strength lies elsewhere, particularly in Europe, where UEFA – whose members on Thursday agreed to boycott FIFA competitions over FIFA’s recently proposed plan – controls many of the game’s most valuable competitions. Here’s how the sport is organized.
Who runs world soccer?
FIFA sits at the top of world soccer’s governing structure. Founded in 1904 and based in Zurich, it has 211 member associations, each with one vote at the FIFA congress, the body’s supreme legislative authority.
The congress elects the FIFA president and approves major statutory changes, while the 37-member FIFA council is the main decision-making body between congress meetings.
Every national football association also belongs to one of FIFA’s six continental confederations: UEFA in Europe, CONMEBOL in South America, CONCACAF in North and Central America and the Caribbean, the AFC in Asia, CAF in Africa and OFC in Oceania.
National associations govern football within their own countries, while the confederations administer the game at regional level.
What does FIFA do?
FIFA organizes global competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, the Club World Cup and youth tournaments. It also oversees the international match calendar, which determines when clubs must release players for national-team duty.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino speaks during a news conference at the stadium in Mexico City last month, a day before the opening FIFA World Cup match between Mexico and South Africa.Eduardo Verdugo/The Associated Press
The governing body sets the global regulatory framework for international football through rules covering areas such as player eligibility, transfers and disciplinary matters in FIFA competitions, while distributing development funding through programs such as FIFA Forward.
Politically, FIFA’s structure gives every member association an equal vote, regardless of the size or wealth of its football industry. That makes coalition-building across Africa, Asia, the Americas and Oceania central to FIFA elections and major policy decisions.
What role do confederations play?
The six confederations are not simply FIFA’s regional offices. They are independent governing bodies with their own congresses, executives, competitions and commercial programs.
They organize continental national-team tournaments, including the European Championship, Copa America, Africa Cup of Nations, Asian Cup, Gold Cup and OFC Nations Cup, while also running the leading club competitions in their respective regions.
FIFA’s statutes recognize the confederations’ right to organize continental competitions, subject to FIFA’s regulations and the international match calendar.
Why is UEFA different?
Although UEFA has only 55 of FIFA’s 211 member associations, it generates substantially more commercial revenue than any other confederation, organizing many of football’s most valuable competitions.
These include the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League and the European Championship competitions that generate billions of Euros through broadcasting rights, sponsorship and commercial partnerships. Europe is also home to many of the world’s biggest clubs, leagues, broadcasters and sponsors.
That commercial strength extends UEFA’s influence beyond its own competitions. The confederation redistributes billions of Euros through prize money, solidarity payments and development funding, reinforcing its importance to clubs, leagues and national associations across Europe.
Why can UEFA challenge FIFA?
FIFA has the governing authority over world football, but UEFA oversees much of its economic engine.
Although Europe’s 55 national associations account for just over a quarter of FIFA’s membership, the confederation organizes the sport’s richest club and national-team competitions and represents many of its biggest leagues, clubs and broadcasters.
That commercial weight gives UEFA significant influence whenever FIFA proposes changes affecting competitions, the international calendar or the commercial structure of the game.
The relationship is one of mutual dependence: FIFA needs Europe’s participation to maximize the value of its flagship tournaments, while UEFA operates within FIFA’s global regulatory framework.
That balance helps explain why disputes between the two bodies – whether over competition formats, the international calendar or FIFA’s commercial matters – carry such significance for the sport.
