STATUTESMay 2021 edition

Fédération Internationale de Football Association
President:
Secretary General:
Address:

Telephone:Internet:

Gianni Infantino
Fatma SamouraFIFA-Strasse 20
P.O. Box8044 Zurich
Switzerland+41 (0)43 222 7777
FIFA.com

FIFA
STATUTESREGULATIONS GOVERNING THE APPLICATION
OF THE STATUTES
STANDING ORDERS OF THE CONGRESSMay 2021 edition

CONTENTS 3

FIFA STATUTES
DEFINITIONS

8

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS
1 Name and headquarters
2 Objectives
3 Human rights
4 Non-discrimination, equality and neutrality
5 Promoting friendly relations
6 Players
7 Laws of the Game
8 Conduct of bodies, officials and others
9 Official languages

10
10
10
11
11
11
12
12
12
13

II. MEMBERSHIP
10 Admission, suspension and expulsion
11 Admission
12 Request and procedure for application
13 Member associations’ rights
14 Member associations’ obligations
15 Member associations’ statutes
16 Suspension
17 Expulsion
18 Resignation
19 Independence of member associations and their bodies
20 Status of clubs, leagues and other groups of clubs

14
14
14
15
15
16
17
18
19
19
20
21

III. H ONORARY PRESIDENT, HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENT
AND HONORARY MEMBER
22
21 Honorary president, honorary vice-president and honorary member 22
IV. CONFEDERATIONS
22 Confederations
23 Confederations’ statutes

23
23
25

V. ORGANISATION
24 Bodies27
27

4 CONTENTS

A. CONGRESS
25 Congress
26 Vote, delegates, observers
27 Candidates for the office of FIFA President, for the Counciland for the chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and members of
the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee andthe judicial bodies
28 Ordinary Congress agenda
29 Adoption of and amendments to the Statutes,
the Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes
and the Standing Orders of the Congress
30 Elections, other decisions, requisite majority
31 Minutes
32 Effective dates of decisions

28
28
28

29
31

33
34
35
35

B. COUNCIL
33 Composition, election of the President, the vice-presidents
and the members of the Council
34 Powers of the Council

36

C. PRESIDENT
35 President

40
40

D. GENERAL SECRETARIAT
36 General secretariat
37 Secretary General

41
41
41

E. BUREAU OF THE COUNCIL
38 Bureau of the Council

43
43

F. STANDING COMMITTEES
39 Standing committees
40 Finance Committee
41 Development Committee
42 Organising Committee for FIFA Competitions
43 Football Stakeholders Committee
44 Member Associations Committee
45 Referees Committee
46 Medical Committee

44
44
45
46
46
47
47
47
47

36
37

CONTENTS 5
VI. ANNUAL MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS CONFERENCE
47 Annual member associations conference48
48

VII. INDEPENDENT COMMITTEES
48 Institutional independence
49 Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee
50 Judicial bodies
51 Disciplinary Committee
52 Ethics Committee
53 Appeal Committee

49
49
49
51
53
53
54

VIII. FOOTBALL TRIBUNAL
54 Football Tribunal

55
55

IX. DISCIPLINARY MEASURES
55 Disciplinary measures

56
56

X. ARBITRATION
56 Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)57 Jurisdiction of CAS
58 Obligations relating to dispute resolution

58
58
58
59

XI. SUBMISSION TO DECISIONS OF FIFA
59 Implementation of decisions
60 Sanctions

61
61
61

XII. FINANCE
61 Financial period
62 Auditors
63 Membership subscriptions
64 Settlement
65 Levies

62
62
62
62
63
63

XIII. RIGHTS IN COMPETITIONS AND EVENTS
66 Rights in competitions and events
67 Authorisation to distribute

64
64
64

6 CONTENTS

XIV. COMPETITIONS

65

A. FIFA FINAL COMPETITIONS
68 Competition venues

65
65

B. INTERNATIONAL MATCHES AND COMPETITIONS
69 International match calendar
70 International matches and competitions
71 Contacts
72 Authorisation

67
67
67
67
68

XV. FINAL PROVISIONS
73 Dissolution
74 Transitory provisions
75 Enforcement

69
69
69
70

REGULATIONS GOVERNING
THE APPLICATION OF THE STATUTES
I. APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION TO FIFA
1 Application for admission
2 Confederations

71
71

II. MATCH AGENTS AND FOOTBALL AGENTS
3 Match agents
4 Football agents

72
72
72

III. ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY FOR REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS
73
5 Principles
73
6 Nationality entitling players to represent more than one association 74
7 Acquisition of a new nationality
75
8 Stateless individuals
76
9 Change of association
76

CONTENTS 7
IV. SPORTING INTEGRITY
10 Principle of promotion and relegation

80
80

V. LAWS OF THE GAME
11 Amendments to the Laws of the Game

81
81

VI. REFEREES AND ASSISTANT REFEREES
12 Nomination
13 Report
14 Reimbursement

82
82
82
83

VII. FINAL PROVISIONS
15 Objectives
16 Enforcement

84
84
84

STANDING ORDERS OF THE CONGRESSSTANDING ORDERS OF THE CONGRESS
1 Participation in the Congress
2 Chair
3 Scrutineers
4 Interpreters
5 Debates
6 Speakers
7 Proposals
8 Procedural motions and closing of debates
9 Votes
10 Elections
11 Calculation of majorities
12 Enforcement

85
85
85
86
86
87
87
88
88
89
90
91
92

8 DEFINITIONSDEFINITIONS
The terms given below denote the following:
1

FIFA: “Fédération Internationale de Football Association”.

2

Association: a football association recognised as such by FIFA. It isa member of FIFA, unless a different meaning is evident from thecontext.

3

League: an organisation that is subordinate to an association.

4

British associations: the four associations in the United Kingdom –The Football Association, The Scottish Football Association,
The Football Association of Wales and The Irish Football Association(Northern Ireland).

5

The IFAB: The International Football Association Board (IFAB).

6Country: an independent state recognised by the international
community.

7

Confederation: a group of associations recognised by FIFA thatbelong to the same continent (or assimilable geographic region).

8

Congress: the supreme and legislative body of FIFA.

9

Council: the strategic and oversight body of FIFA.

10

Bureau of the Council: the bureau of the Council as defined inart. 38 of these Statutes.

11

Laws of the Game: the laws of association football issued by
The IFAB in accordance with art. 7 of these Statutes.

DEFINITIONS 9
12

Member association: an association that has been admitted into
membership of FIFA by the Congress.

13

Official: any board member (including the members of the Council),committee member, referee and assistant referee, coach, trainer andany other person responsible for technical, medical and administrative
matters in FIFA, a confederation, a member association, a league ora club as well as all other persons obliged to comply with the FIFA
Statutes (except players, football agents and match agents).

14

Club: a member of an association (that is a member association ofFIFA) or a member of a league recognised by a member associationthat enters at least one team in a competition.

15

Player: any football player licensed by an association.

16

Association football: the game controlled by FIFA and organised
by FIFA, the confederations and/or the member associations inaccordance with the Laws of the Game.

17

Official competition: a competition for representative teams
organised by FIFA or any confederation.

18

Stakeholder: a person, entity or organisation which is not a member
association and/or body of FIFA but has an interest or concern in FIFA’s
activities, which may affect or be affected by FIFA’s actions, objectives
and policies, in particular clubs, players, coaches and professional
leagues.

NB: Terms referring to natural persons are applicable to both genders.
Any term in the singular applies to the plural and vice versa.

10

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1Name and headquarters

1.
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is anassociation registered in the Commercial Register of the Canton of Zurich inaccordance with art. 60 ff. of the Swiss Civil Code.
2.
FIFA’s headquarters are located in Zurich (Switzerland) and may only
be transferred to another location following a resolution passed by theCongress.

2

Objectives

The objectives of FIFA are:(a) to improve the game of football constantly and promote it globally inthe light of its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values,
particularly through youth and development programmes;(b) to organise its own international competitions;(c) to draw up regulations and provisions governing the game of footballand related matters and to ensure their enforcement;(d) to control every type of association football by taking appropriate steps
to prevent infringements of the Statutes, regulations or decisions ofFIFA or of the Laws of the Game;(e) to use its efforts to ensure that the game of football is available to andresourced for all who wish to participate, regardless of gender or age;(f) to promote the development of women’s football and the fullparticipation of women at all levels of football governance; and(g) to promote integrity, ethics and fair play with a view to preventing
all methods or practices, such as corruption, doping or match

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS 11
manipulation, which might jeopardise the integrity of matches,competitions, players, officials and member associations or give rise toabuse of association football.

3

Human rights

FIFA is committed to respecting all internationally recognised human rights
and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights.

4

Non-discrimination, equality and neutrality

1.
Discrimination of any kind against a country, private person or group ofpeople on account of race, skin colour, ethnic, national or social origin,gender, disability, language, religion, political opinion or any other
opinion, wealth, birth or any other status, sexual orientation or any otherreason is strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.
2.
FIFA remains neutral in matters of politics and religion. Exceptions may bemade with regard to matters affected by FIFA’s statutory objectives.

5

Promoting friendly relations

1.
FIFA shall promote friendly relations:(a) between and among member associations, confederations, clubs,
officials and players; and(b) in society for humanitarian objectives.
2.
FIFA shall provide the necessary institutional means to resolve any disputethat may arise between or among member associations, confederations,clubs, officials and players.

12 I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

6

Players

The Council shall regulate the status of players and the provisions fortheir transfer, as well as questions relating to these matters, in particular
the encouragement of player training by clubs and the protection ofrepresentative teams, in the form of special regulations from time to time.

7

Laws of the Game

1.
Each member association shall play association football in compliance with
the Laws of the Game issued by The IFAB. Only The IFAB may lay down andalter the Laws of the Game.
2.
The IFAB is an association in accordance with Swiss law with its
headquarters located in Zurich (Switzerland). The members of The IFAB are
FIFA and the four British associations.
3.
The organisation, duties and responsibilities of The IFAB are governed by
the statutes of The IFAB.
4.
Each member association shall play futsal in accordance with the Futsal
Laws of the Game, as issued by the Council.
5.
Each member association shall play beach soccer in accordance with the
Beach Soccer Laws of the Game, as issued by the Council.

8

Conduct of bodies, officials and others

1.
All bodies and officials must observe the Statutes, regulations, decisions
and Code of Ethics of FIFA in their activities.

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS 13
2.
Executive bodies of member associations may under exceptional
circumstances be removed from office by the Council in consultation withthe relevant confederation and replaced by a normalisation committee fora specific period of time.
3.
Every person and organisation involved in the game of football is obliged
to observe the Statutes and regulations of FIFA as well as the principles offair play.

9

Official languages

1.
English, Spanish, French and German are the official languages of FIFA.
English is the official language for minutes, official correspondence andannouncements.
2.
Member associations are responsible for translations into the language(s)of their country.
3.
English, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Arabic and Portuguese are theofficial languages at the Congress. Qualified interpreters shall translate
into these languages. Delegates may speak in their mother tongue if they
ensure interpretation into one of the official Congress languages by aqualified interpreter.
4.
The Statutes, Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes, theStanding Orders of the Congress, decisions and announcements of FIFA
shall be published in the four official languages. If there is any divergencein the wording, the English text shall be authoritative.

14 II. MEMBERSHIP

II. MEMBERSHIP

10

Admission, suspension and expulsion

The Congress shall decide whether to admit, suspend or expel a member
association solely upon the recommendation of the Council.

11

Admission

1.
Any association which is responsible for organising and supervisingfootball in all of its forms in its country may become a member association.
Consequently, it is recommended that all member associations involve all
relevant stakeholders in football in their own structure. Subject to par. 5
and par. 6 below, only one association shall be recognised as a member
association in each country.
2.
Membership is only permitted if an association is currently a member ofa confederation. The Council may issue regulations with regard to theadmission process.
3.
Any association wishing to become a member association shall apply in
writing to the FIFA general secretariat.
4.
The association’s legally valid statutes shall be enclosed with the application
for membership and shall contain the following mandatory provisions:(a) always to comply with the Statutes, regulations and decisions of FIFAand of the relevant confederation;(b) to comply with the Laws of the Game in force;(c) to recognise the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as specified in these
Statutes.

II. MEMBERSHIP 15
5.
Each of the four British associations shall be recognised as a separate
member association of FIFA.
6.
An association in a region which has not yet gained independence may,with the authorisation of the member association in the country on which
it is dependent, also apply for admission to FIFA.
7.
This article shall not affect the status of existing member associations.

12

Request and procedure for application

1.
The Council shall request the Congress either to admit or not to admit anassociation. The association may state the reasons for its application to theCongress.
2.
The new member association shall acquire membership rights and duties
as soon as it has been admitted. Its delegates are eligible to vote and beelected with immediate effect.

13

Member associations’ rights

1.
Member associations have the following rights:(a) to take part in the Congress;(b) to draw up proposals for inclusion in the agenda of the Congress;(c) to nominate candidates for the FIFA presidency and the Council;(d) to participate in and cast their votes at all FIFA elections in accordancewith the FIFA Governance Regulations;16 II. MEMBERSHIP(e) to take part in competitions organised by FIFA;(f) to take part in FIFA’s assistance and development programmes; and(g) to exercise all other rights arising from these Statutes and otherregulations.
2.
The exercise of these rights is subject to other provisions in these Statutes
and the applicable regulations.

14

Member associations’ obligations

1.
Member associations have the following obligations:(a) to comply fully with the Statutes, regulations, directives and decisionsof FIFA bodies at any time as well as the decisions of the Court of
Arbitration for Sport (CAS) passed on appeal on the basis of art. 56 par.
1 of the FIFA Statutes;(b) to take part in competitions organised by FIFA;(c) to pay their membership subscriptions;(d) to cause their own members to comply with the Statutes, regulations,directives and decisions of FIFA bodies;(e) to convene its supreme and legislative body at regular intervals, at least
every two years;(f) to ratify statutes that are in accordance with the requirements of theFIFA Standard Statutes;(g) to create a referees’ committee that is directly subordinate to themember association;(h) to respect the Laws of the Game;

II. MEMBERSHIP 17(i) to manage their affairs independently and ensure that their own affairs
are not influenced by any third parties in accordance with art. 19 ofthese Statutes;(j) to comply fully with all other duties arising from these Statutes andother regulations.
2.
Violation of the above-mentioned obligations by any member association
may lead to sanctions provided for in these Statutes.
3.
Violations of par. 1 i) may also lead to sanctions, even if the third-party
influence was not the fault of the member association concerned. Eachmember association is responsible towards FIFA for any and all acts ofthe members of their bodies caused by the gross negligence or wilful
misconduct of such members.

15

Member associations’ statutes

Member associations’ statutes must comply with the principles of good
governance, and shall in particular contain, at a minimum, provisions
relating to the following matters:(a) to be neutral in matters of politics and religion;(b) to prohibit all forms of discrimination;(c) to be independent and avoid any form of political interference;(d) to ensure that judicial bodies are independent (separation of powers);(e) all relevant stakeholders must agree to respect the Laws of the Game,the principles of loyalty, integrity, sportsmanship and fair play as wellas the Statutes, regulations and decisions of FIFA and of the respective
confederation;(f) all relevant stakeholders must agree to recognise the jurisdiction andauthority of CAS and give priority to arbitration as a means of dispute
resolution;

18 II. MEMBERSHIP(g) that the member association has the primary responsibility to regulatematters relating to refereeing, the fight against doping, the registrationof players, club licensing, the imposition of disciplinary measures,
including for ethical misconduct, and measures required to protect the
integrity of competitions;(h) definition of the competences of the decision-making bodies;(i) to avoid conflicts of interests in decision-making;(j) legislative bodies must be constituted in accordance with the principles
of representative democracy and taking into account the importance ofgender equality in football; and(k) yearly independent audits of accounts.

16

Suspension

1.
The Congress may suspend a member association solely at the request of
the Council. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Council may, without avote of the Congress, temporarily suspend with immediate effect a member
association that seriously violates its obligations. A suspension approved by
the Council shall be in effect until the next Congress, unless the Council has
revoked such suspension prior to such Congress.
2.
A suspension of a member association by the Congress requires athree-quarter majority of the member associations present and eligible
to vote. A suspension of a member association by the Congress or theCouncil shall be confirmed at the next Congress by a three-quarter
majority of the member associations present and eligible to vote.
If it is not confirmed, such suspension shall be automatically lifted.
3.
A suspended member association may not exercise any of its membershiprights. Other member associations may not entertain sporting contact witha suspended member association. The Disciplinary Committee may impose
further sanctions.

II. MEMBERSHIP 19
4.
Member associations which do not participate in at least two of all FIFA
competitions over a period of four consecutive years shall be suspended
from voting at the Congress until they have fulfilled their obligations in thisrespect.

17

Expulsion

1.
The Congress may expel a member association only at the request of theCouncil if:(a) it fails to fulfil its financial obligations towards FIFA; or(b) it seriously violates the Statutes, regulations or decisions of FIFA; or(c) it loses the status of an association representing association football in
its country.
2.
The presence of an absolute majority (more than 50%) of the member
associations eligible to vote at the Congress is necessary for an expulsionof a member association to be valid, and the motion for expulsion must be
adopted by a three-quarter majority of the valid votes cast.

18

Resignation

1.
A member association may resign from FIFA with effect from the end of acalendar year. Notice of resignation must reach the general secretariat nolater than six months before the end of the calendar year and be sent to
the general secretariat by registered letter.
2.
The resignation is not valid until the member association wishing to resign
has fulfilled its financial obligations towards FIFA and its other member
associations.

20 II. MEMBERSHIP

19

Independence of member associations and their bodies

1.
Each member association shall manage its affairs independently andwithout undue influence from third parties.
2.
A member association’s bodies shall be either elected or appointed in thatassociation. A member association’s statutes shall provide for a democratic
procedure that guarantees the complete independence of the election or
appointment.
3.
Any member association’s bodies that have not been elected or appointed
in compliance with the provisions of par. 2, even on an interim basis, shallnot be recognised by FIFA.
4.
Decisions passed by bodies that have not been elected or appointed incompliance with par. 2 shall not be recognised by FIFA.

II. MEMBERSHIP 21

20

Status of clubs, leagues and other groups of clubs

1.
Clubs, leagues or any other groups affiliated to a member association shallbe subordinate to and recognised by that member association. The member
association’s statutes shall define the scope of authority and the rights andduties of these groups. The statutes and regulations of these groups shallbe approved by the member association.
2.
Every member association shall ensure that its affiliated clubs can takeall decisions on any matters regarding membership independently of any
external body. This obligation applies regardless of an affiliated club’s
corporate structure. In any case, the member association shall ensure thatneither a natural nor a legal person (including holding companies andsubsidiaries) exercises control in any manner whatsoever (in particularthrough a majority shareholding, a majority of voting rights, a majority ofseats on the board of directors or any other form of economic dependenceor control, etc.) over more than one club whenever the integrity of any
match or competition could be jeopardised.

22 III. HONORARY PRESIDENT, HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENT AND HONORARY MEMBER

III. H ONORARY PRESIDENT, HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENT AND
HONORARY MEMBER

21

Honorary president, honorary vice-president andhonorary member

1.
The Congress may bestow the title of honorary president, honorary
vice-president or honorary member upon any former member of theCouncil for meritorious service to football.
2.
The Council shall propose these nominations.
3.
The honorary president, honorary vice-president or honorary member
may take part in the Congress. They may join in the debates but may not
vote.

IV. CONFEDERATIONS 23
IV. CONFEDERATIONS

22

Confederations

1.
Member associations that belong to the same continent have formed thefollowing confederations, which are recognised by FIFA:(a) Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol – CONMEBOL(b) Asian Football Confederation – AFC(c) Union des associations européennes de football – UEFA(d) Confédération Africaine de Football – CAF(e) Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association
Football – Concacaf(f) Oceania Football Confederation – OFC
Recognition of each confederation by FIFA entails full mutual respectof each other’s authority within their respective institutional areas ofcompetence as set forth in these Statutes.
2.
FIFA may, in exceptional circumstances, authorise a confederation to grant
membership to an association that belongs geographically to anothercontinent and is not affiliated to the confederation on that continent. The
opinion of the confederation concerned geographically shall be obtained.
3.
Each confederation shall have the following rights and obligations:(a) to comply with and enforce compliance with the Statutes, regulations
and decisions of FIFA;(b) to work closely with FIFA in every domain so as to achieve the objectives
stipulated in art. 2 and to organise international competitions;24 IV. CONFEDERATIONS(c) to organise its own interclub competitions, in compliance with theinternational match calendar;(d) to organise all of its own international competitions in compliance with
the international match calendar;(e) to ensure that international leagues or any other such groups of clubs orleagues shall not be formed without its consent and the approval of FIFA;(f) at the request of FIFA, to grant associations applying for membershipthe status of a provisional member. This status shall grant associations
the right to take part in the confederation’s competitions andconferences.
Any other rights and obligations of the provisional member shall be
regulated by the confederation’s statutes and regulations. Provisional
members may not take part in FIFA final competitions;(g) to nurture relations and cooperation with FIFA actively andconstructively for the good of the game through consultative meetings
and to discuss and resolve any problems relating to the interests of theconfederations and FIFA;(h) to ensure that the representatives appointed to FIFA bodies or electedto the Council carry out their activities on these bodies with mutual
respect, solidarity, recognition and fair play, and in accordance withthese Statutes and any related regulations issued by FIFA;(i) to set up committees that work closely together with the corresponding
committees at FIFA;(j) exceptionally to allow, with FIFA’s consent, an association from anotherconfederation (or clubs belonging to that association) to participate in acompetition that it is organising;(k) with the mutual cooperation of FIFA, to take any action considerednecessary to develop the game of football on the continent concerned,
such as arranging development programmes, courses, conferences, etc.;(l) to set up the bodies necessary to fulfil the duties incumbent upon it; andm) to procure the funds necessary to fulfil its duties.

IV. CONFEDERATIONS 25
4.
The Council may delegate other duties or powers to one or more (or all)confederations by agreement with such confederations or confederation.
5.
The confederations’ statutes and regulations, as revised from time to time,shall be submitted to FIFA for approval.

23

Confederations’ statutes

The confederations’ statutes must comply with the principles of good
governance, and shall in particular contain, at a minimum, provisions
relating to the following matters:(a) to be neutral in matters of politics and religion;(b) to prohibit all forms of discrimination;(c) to be independent and avoid any form of political interference;(d) to ensure that judicial bodies are independent (separation of powers);(e) all relevant stakeholders must agree to respect the Laws of the Game,the principles of loyalty, integrity, sportsmanship and fair play as wellas the Statutes, regulations and decisions of FIFA and of the respective
confederation;(f) all relevant stakeholders must agree to recognise the jurisdiction andauthority of CAS and give priority to arbitration as a means of dispute
resolution;(g) regulation of matters relating to refereeing, the fight against doping,club licensing, the imposition of disciplinary measures, including forethical misconduct, and measures required to protect the integrity ofcompetitions;(h) definition of the competences of the decision-making bodies;(i) to avoid conflicts of interests in decision-making;26 IV. CONFEDERATIONS(j) legislative bodies must be constituted in accordance with the principles
of representative democracy and taking into account the importance ofgender equality in football; and(k) yearly independent audits of accounts.

V. ORGANISATION 27
V. ORGANISATION

24

Bodies1.
The Congress is the supreme and legislative body.
2.
The Council is the strategic and oversight body.
3.
The general secretariat is the executive, operational and administrative
body.
4.
Standing and ad hoc committees shall advise and assist the Council and thegeneral secretariat in fulfilling their duties. Their primary duties are definedin these Statutes and their composition, function and additional duties aredefined in the FIFA Governance Regulations.
5.
The independent committees fulfil their functions in accordance with these
Statutes and the applicable FIFA regulations.
6.
The Football Tribunal fulfils its function in accordance with these Statutes
and the applicable FIFA regulations.
7.
The independent auditors perform all audits of FIFA’s accounts and financial
statements as required by Swiss law.

28 V. ORGANISATION

A. CONGRESS

25

Congress

1.
A Congress may be an Ordinary or an Extraordinary Congress. A Congress
may be held in person, by teleconference, by videoconference or by anothermeans of communication.
2.
The Ordinary Congress shall be held every year. The Council shall fix theplace and date. The member associations shall be notified in writing at least
four months in advance of the place and date of such Ordinary Congress.
The formal convocation shall be made in writing at least one month before
the date of the Congress. This convocation shall contain the agenda, thePresident’s report, the financial statements, including the consolidated
financial statements, and the auditors’ report.
3.
The Council may convene an Extraordinary Congress at any time.
4.
The Council shall convene an Extraordinary Congress if one-fifth of themember associations make such a request in writing. The request shallspecify the items for the agenda. An Extraordinary Congress shall be held
within three months of receipt of the request.
5.
The member associations shall be notified of the place, date and agenda
at least two months before the date of an Extraordinary Congress. The
agenda of an Extraordinary Congress may not be altered.

26

Vote, delegates, observers

1.
Each member association has one vote in the Congress and is represented
by its delegates. Only the member associations present are entitled tovote. Attendance by teleconference, by videoconference or by anothermeans of communication shall constitute presence. Voting by proxy orby letter is not permitted at a Congress held in person. When a Congress

V. ORGANISATION 29
is held by teleconference, by videoconference or by another means ofcommunication, voting by correspondence and/or online is permitted.
2.
Delegates must belong to the member association that they represent andbe appointed by the appropriate body of that member association.
3.
Confederation delegates may take part in the Congress as observers
without a right to vote.
4.
During their term of office, members of the Council may not be appointed
as delegates for their association.
5.
The President shall conduct the Congress business in compliance with theStanding Orders of the Congress.

27

Candidates for the office of FIFA President, for theCouncil and for the chairpersons, deputy chairpersons
and members of the Governance, Audit and Compliance
Committee and the judicial bodies

1.
Only the member associations may propose candidatures for the office ofFIFA President. A candidature for the office of FIFA President shall only bevalid if supported by a total of at least five member associations. Member
associations must notify the FIFA general secretariat, in writing, of acandidature for the FIFA presidency at least four months before the startof the Congress, together with the declarations of support of at least fivemember associations. A candidate for the office of FIFA President shall haveplayed an active role in association football (e.g. as a player or an official
within FIFA, a confederation or an association, etc.) for two of the last five
years before being proposed as a candidate and must pass an eligibility
check carried out by the Review Committee in accordance with the FIFA
Governance Regulations.
2.
The general secretariat shall notify the member associations of the namesof proposed candidates for the office of FIFA President at least one month
before the date of the Congress.

30 V. ORGANISATION

3.
Subject to par. 4 below, only member associations may propose
candidatures for the Council. The relevant confederation shall be in receiptof the candidatures for the Council proposed by the member associationsat least three months before the start of the respective confederation
congress on the occasion of which the said election shall take place. The
confederations shall notify the FIFA general secretariat, in writing, of all
candidatures submitted to them within five days of the expiration of thethree-month deadline. The confederations shall furthermore provide FIFA
with the evidence of timely submission of the candidatures. Each member
association is entitled to submit only one proposal for a member of theCouncil. If a member association presents proposals for more than one
candidate, all of its presented proposals shall be deemed invalid. A member
association may only propose candidates affiliated to its confederation.
4.
The elections by the member associations of the female candidates for theCouncil (at least one per confederation) are set out in art. 33 par. 5 of these
Statutes.
5.
Council members shall be elected by the member associations on theoccasion of their confederation congresses in accordance with the FIFA
Governance Regulations. Candidates for the Council must pass an eligibility
check carried out by the Review Committee in accordance with theFIFA Governance Regulations. The election of Council members shall bemonitored by FIFA.
6.
The conditions to be observed during a candidature for the office ofPresident and for positions on the Council are stipulated in the FIFA
Governance Regulations.
7.
The Council shall submit proposals for the positions of chairperson,
deputy chairperson and members of each of the Governance, Audit andCompliance Committee and the judicial bodies to the Congress. The Council
shall determine the number of seats to be assigned to each confederationin the relevant committee. Proposals shall be submitted, in writing, to thegeneral secretariat at least four months before the start of the Congress.
The procedure shall be laid down in the FIFA Governance Regulations.

V. ORGANISATION 31
8.
Candidates for the positions of chairperson, deputy chairperson andmembers of the judicial bodies must pass an eligibility check carriedout by the Review Committee in accordance with the FIFA GovernanceRegulations.
9.
Candidates for the positions of chairperson, deputy chairperson andmembers of the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee must passan eligibility check carried out by the investigatory chamber of the Ethics
Committee in accordance with the FIFA Governance Regulations.

28

Ordinary Congress agenda

1.
The Secretary General shall draw up the agenda based on proposals fromthe Council and the member associations. Any proposal that a member
association wishes to submit to the Congress shall be sent to the generalsecretariat in writing, with a brief explanation, at least two months before
the date of the Congress.
2.
The Congress agenda shall include the following mandatory items:(a) a declaration that the Congress has been convened and composed incompliance with the Statutes;(b) approval of the agenda;(c) an address by the President;(d) appointment of five member associations to check the minutes;(e) appointment of scrutineers;(f) suspension or expulsion of a member association (if applicable);(g) approval of the minutes of the preceding Congress;(h) activity report (containing the activities since the last Congress);

32 V. ORGANISATION(i) report from the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee;(j) presentation of the annual audited financial statements, including theconsolidated financial statements and the annual report as well as theauditors’ reports;(k) approval of the annual audited financial statements, including theconsolidated financial statements and the annual report;(l) approval of the budget;(m) admission for membership (if applicable);(n) votes on proposals for adopting and amending the Statutes, theRegulations Governing the Application of the Statutes and the Standing
Orders of the Congress (if applicable);(o) discussion of proposals duly submitted by the member associations andthe Council within the period stipulated under par. 1 (if applicable);(p) appointment of auditors (if applicable);(q) election or dismissal of the President in accordance with these Statutes(if applicable);(r) election or dismissal of the chairpersons, deputy chairpersons andmembers of the following committees (if applicable) on proposal of theCouncil:- Disciplinary Committee- Ethics Committee- Appeal Committee- Governance, Audit and Compliance Committees) vote on the designation of the host country/countries of the FIFA World
Cup™ and FIFA Women’s World Cup™ final competitions (if applicable).
3.
The agenda of an Ordinary Congress may be altered, provided
three-quarters of the member associations present at the Congress andeligible to vote agree to such a motion.

V. ORGANISATION 33

29

Adoption of and amendments to the Statutes, theRegulations Governing the Application of the Statutes
and the Standing Orders of the Congress

1.
The Congress is responsible for adopting and amending the Statutes, theRegulations Governing the Application of the Statutes and the Standing
Orders of the Congress.
2.
Any proposals for an amendment to the Statutes must be submitted inwriting with a brief explanation to the general secretariat by a member
association or by the Council. A proposal submitted by a member
association shall be valid, provided it has been supported in writing by atleast two other member associations.
3.
For a vote on an amendment to the Statutes to be valid, an absolutemajority (more than 50%) of the member associations eligible to vote must
be present.
4.
A proposal to adopt or amend the Statutes shall be adopted if approved bythree-quarters of the member associations present and eligible to vote.
5.
Any proposal to adopt or amend the Regulations Governing theApplication of the Statutes and the Standing Orders of the Congress mustbe submitted in writing with a brief explanation to the general secretariat
by a member association or by the Council.
6.
For any proposal to adopt or amend the Regulations Governing theApplication of the Statutes and the Standing Orders of the Congress tobe adopted, a simple majority (more than 50%) of the valid votes cast isrequired.

34 V. ORGANISATION

30Elections, other decisions, requisite majority

1.
Elections shall be conducted by secret ballot.
2.
Any other decision that requires a vote shall be reached by a show of hands
or by means of an electronic count. If a show of hands does not result in aclear majority in favour of a motion, the vote shall be taken by calling theroll, member associations being called in English alphabetical order.
3.
For the election of the President, where there is only one candidate, theCongress may decide to elect him by acclamation. Otherwise, if there
are two or fewer candidates, a simple majority (more than 50%) of thevalid votes cast is necessary. If there are more than two candidates forthe election of the President, two-thirds of the votes of the member
associations present and eligible to vote are necessary in the first ballot.
As from the second ballot, whoever obtains the lowest number of votes iseliminated until only two candidates are left.
4.
Council members shall be elected by the member associations in accordancewith art. 27 par. 5 of these Statutes.
5.
Each confederation president shall be a vice-president ex officio of theCouncil.
6.
Each vice-president and each member of the Council shall be required
to fulfil the eligibility check conducted by the Review Committee inaccordance with the FIFA Governance Regulations.
7.
For the election of the chairperson, deputy chairperson and members ofeach of the judicial bodies and of the Governance, Audit and Compliance
Committee, the candidate(s) who receive(s) the most votes in respect of thefree seat(s) shall be elected.

V. ORGANISATION 35
8.
The election of the chairperson, deputy chairperson and members ofeach of the judicial bodies and of the Governance, Audit and Compliance
Committee by the Congress may be conducted en bloc. At the request of
at least ten member associations, however, a separate vote for a specificcandidate shall take place.
9.
Unless otherwise stipulated in the Statutes, a simple majority (more than50%) of the valid votes cast is sufficient for elections, votes and otherdecisions to be valid.
10.
Further details are stipulated in the Standing Orders of the Congress.

31

Minutes

1.
The Secretary General shall be responsible for recording the minutes at theCongress.
2.
The minutes of the Congress shall be checked by those member associations
designated.

32

Effective dates of decisions

Decisions passed by the Congress shall come into effect for the member
associations 60 days after the close of the Congress, unless the Congress
fixes another date for a decision to take effect.

36 V. ORGANISATION

B. COUNCIL

33

Composition, election of the President, the vice-presidents
and the members of the Council

1.
The Council shall consist of 37 members:
1 President, elected by the Congress,
8 vice-presidents, and28 other members.
Upon being elected to office, every member of the Council undertakes, andaccepts responsibility, to faithfully, loyally and independently act in thebest interests of FIFA and the promotion and development of football at
global level.
2.
The President shall be elected by the Congress for a period of four years in
the year following a FIFA World Cup™. His term of office shall begin after
the end of the Congress at which he was elected. No person may serve as
President for more than three terms of office (whether consecutive or not).
Previous terms served as a vice-president or as a member of the Council
shall not be considered in determining the term limits of a President.
3.
The members of the Council shall be elected by the member associations
on the occasion of the respective confederation congresses for a term offour years. Their terms of office shall begin after the end of the congress at
which they were elected. A member of the Council may serve for no morethan three terms of office (whether consecutive or not).
4.
The confederations are allocated the following places on the Council:(a) CONMEBOL vice-president (1)(b) AFC
vice-president (1)(c) UEFA
vice-presidents (3)(d) CAF
vice-president (1)(e) Concacaf
vice-president (1)(f)		 OFC
vice-president (1)members
members
members
members
members
members

(4)
(6)
(6)
(6)
(4)
(2)

V. ORGANISATION 37
5.
The members of each confederation must ensure that they elect at least
one female member to the Council. In the event that no female candidate
is elected by the members of a confederation for the Council, the seatreserved for a female member of such confederation will be deemed
forfeited by all members of such confederation and shall remain vacant
until the next election of members of the Council.
6.
No more than one representative from the same member association may
serve on the Council simultaneously.
7.
If the President is permanently or temporarily prevented from performing
his official function, the longest-serving vice-president shall assume thepowers and responsibilities of the President until the next Congress. This
Congress shall elect a new President, if necessary. If the longest-serving
vice-president is prevented from assuming the powers and responsibilitiesof the President, the next longest-serving vice-president shall assume thepowers and responsibilities of the President.
8.
Any vice-president or other member of the Council who is permanently
or temporarily prevented from performing his official function shall be
replaced by the members of the relevant confederation which elected suchvice-president or member for the remaining period of office.

34

Powers of the Council

1.
The Council defines FIFA’s mission, strategic direction, policies and values, inparticular with regard to the organisation and development of football atworldwide level and all related matters.

38 V. ORGANISATION2.
As regards business- or finance-related matters, the Council shall, inter alia:••••

define the standards, policies and procedures applicable to theawarding of commercial contracts by FIFA;
define the standards, policies and procedures applicable to footballdevelopment grants;
define the standards, policies and procedures regarding the operationalcosts of FIFA; anddefine the standards, policies and procedures regarding all otherbusiness- or finance-related matters of FIFA.

The Council delegates the execution and management of business- or
finance-related matters to the general secretariat, which operates under
the authority and supervision of the Council and is accountable to it.
3.
The Council oversees the overall management of FIFA by the generalsecretariat.
4.
The Council approves the budget and the annual audited financial
statements, including the consolidated financial statements, preparedby the Finance Committee and the annual report to be submitted to theCongress for approval.
5.
The Council appoints the chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and membersof the standing committees and of the chambers of the Football Tribunal.
6.
The Council shall propose to the Congress for election the chairpersons,deputy chairpersons and members of the Disciplinary Committee, theEthics Committee, the Appeal Committee and the Governance, Audit andCompliance Committee.
7.
The Council may decide to set up ad hoc committees if necessary at any
time.

V. ORGANISATION 39
8.
The Council shall appoint the three representatives of FIFA who shallattend the general assembly of The IFAB in addition to the FIFA President.
Furthermore, the Council is entitled to decide on how the representativesof FIFA shall vote in The IFAB.
9.
The Council shall appoint the Secretary General on the proposal of the
President. The Secretary General may be dismissed by the Council acting
alone.
10.
The Council shall decide the place and dates of the final competitionsof FIFA tournaments and the number of teams taking part fromeach confederation. This shall not apply to decisions on the hostcountry/countries of the FIFA World Cup™ and FIFA Women’sWorld Cup™ final competitions, which shall be voted on by the Congress.
11.
The Council shall issue regulations generally and, in particular, the FIFA
Governance Regulations.
12.
The Council shall deal with all matters relating to FIFA that do not fallwithin the sphere of responsibility of another body, in accordance withthese Statutes.
13.
The powers and responsibilities of the Council may be specified in greater
detail in the FIFA Governance Regulations.

40 V. ORGANISATION

C. PRESIDENT

35

President

1.
The President represents FIFA generally.
2.
The President shall aim to foster a positive image of FIFA and to ensurethat FIFA’s mission, strategic direction, policies and values, as defined by theCouncil, are protected and advanced.
3.
The President shall seek to maintain and develop good relations between
and among FIFA, the confederations, member associations, political bodies
and international organisations.
4.
The President chairs the Congress and meetings of the Council. The
President shall have no right to vote at the Congress; he shall have one
ordinary vote on the Council.
5.
Any powers and responsibilities of the President may be defined in greater
detail in the FIFA Governance Regulations.

V. ORGANISATION 41
D. GENERAL SECRETARIAT

36

General secretariat

1.
The general secretariat shall perform its tasks under the direction of theSecretary General, in particular, as regards:
•
•

•
•

•

organisation of competitions and all related matters, in accordance withthe decisions and directions of the Council;
the negotiation, execution and performance of all commercial
contracts, in accordance with the standards, policies and procedures
established by the Council;
administrative support for the standing committees of FIFA, in particularwith regard to the awarding of football development grants;
management of the operations and day-to-day business of FIFA, in
accordance with the parameters established by the Council and within
the budget established by the Finance Committee; andall other administrative matters necessary for the efficient operationand organisation of FIFA, as required and authorised by the Council.

2.
The general secretariat is supervised by, and is accountable to, the Council
with regard to the discharge of its functions.
3.
The powers and responsibilities of the general secretariat may be definedin greater detail in the FIFA Governance Regulations.

37

Secretary General1.
The Secretary General is the chief executive officer (CEO) of FIFA.
2.
The Secretary General is appointed and may be dismissed by the Council, in
accordance with art. 34 par. 9 of these Statutes. The Secretary General shallreport to the Council.

42 V. ORGANISATION

3.
The Secretary General shall be required to fulfil an eligibility checkperformed by the Review Committee.
4.
The powers and responsibilities of the Secretary General may be defined ingreater detail in the FIFA Governance Regulations.

V. ORGANISATION 43
E. BUREAU OF THE COUNCIL

38

Bureau of the Council

1.
The Bureau of the Council shall deal with all matters within the competenceof the Council requiring immediate decision between two meetings of theCouncil. The Bureau of the Council shall consist of a maximum of sevenmembers. The FIFA President and the six confederation presidents are ex
officio members of the Bureau of the Council.
2.
The President shall convene meetings of the Bureau of the Council. If
a meeting cannot be convened within an appropriate period of time,decisions may be passed through other means of communication. Suchdecisions shall have immediate legal effect. The President shall notify theCouncil immediately of the decisions passed by the Bureau of the Council.
3.
All decisions taken by the Bureau of the Council shall be ratified by theCouncil at its next meeting.
4.
If the President is unable to attend a meeting, the longest-serving
vice-president of the Council available to attend such meeting shalldeputise for the President and act as the presiding official of such meeting.
5.
The President is entitled to designate a deputy for any member who isunable to attend or has a conflict of interest. The deputy shall belong to
the Council and the same confederation as the member who is unable toattend or has a conflict of interest.

44 V. ORGANISATION

F. STANDING COMMITTEES

39

Standing committees

1.
The standing committees are:(a) Finance Committee(b) Development Committee(c) Organising Committee for FIFA Competitions(d) Football Stakeholders Committee(e) Member Associations Committee(f) Referees Committee(g) Medical Committee
2.
The standing committees shall report to the Council. They shall advise andassist the Council in their respective fields of function.
3.
Members of the standing committees may at the same time be membersof the Council, with the exception of (i) the independent members of the
Finance Committee in accordance with art. 40 par. 2 of these Statutes,
and (ii) the independent members of the Development Committee inaccordance with art. 41 par. 1 of these Statutes.
4.
The chairperson, deputy chairperson and members of each standing
committee shall be appointed by the Council on the proposal of themember associations, the President of FIFA or the confederations. The
Council shall ensure appropriate female representation on standing
committees. Their terms shall last for four years, beginning upon therespective date of appointment by the Council. Members of the standing
committees may be relieved of their duties at any time by the Council.

V. ORGANISATION 45
5.
Candidates for the standing committees must pass an eligibility checkcarried out by the Review Committee.
6.
The composition and structure, including qualification and number ofmembers having to fulfil the independence criteria as defined in the FIFA
Governance Regulations as well as the specific duties and powers of theindividual committees, shall be stipulated in the FIFA Governance Regulations.
7.
Each chairperson shall represent his committee and conduct business incompliance with the FIFA Governance Regulations.
8.
The Council and each committee, the latter with the approval of theCouncil, may, if necessary, set up a bureau and/or sub-committee to settle
urgent matters.
9.
Each committee may propose amendments to its regulations to the Council.

40

Finance Committee

1.
The Finance Committee shall consist of at least three members and not
more than 12 members, all of whom must be qualified to deal withfinancial matters.
2.
No fewer than half of the committee’s members shall fulfil the
independence criteria as defined in the FIFA Governance Regulations.
3.
The Finance Committee shall determine FIFA’s strategy regarding financial
and asset management and advise the Council on these matters. The
Finance Committee shall in particular prepare FIFA’s budget to be submitted
to the Council for approval, analyse the accounts and consolidated financial
statements and issue a recommendation to the Council as to whether or
not to approve them, and draft policies, rules and guidelines regarding46 V. ORGANISATION

FIFA’s overall strategy in financial and asset management matters andsubmit them to the Council for approval.
4.
Details of the Finance Committee’s responsibilities are stipulated in the FIFA
Governance Regulations.

41

Development Committee

1.
The Development Committee shall consist of at least three members. No
fewer than half of the committee’s members shall fulfil the independence
criteria as defined in the FIFA Governance Regulations.
2.
The Development Committee shall deal with FIFA’s global development
programmes. It shall devise and propose appropriate strategies, checkthese strategies and analyse the support and programmes provided tomember associations and confederations in this regard. The Development
Committee shall in particular analyse the major development challenges
at stake, advise and assist the Council on FIFA’s member associations anddevelopment programmes, propose new development activities andaddress the related budget matters, draw up guidelines and regulations on
development programmes, approve the thematic focus, types of activity
and budget allocation per continent and/or per member association,and instruct the administration on the execution of the Development
Committee’s decisions. The Development Committee may structure itself in
different sub-committees depending on relevant areas of expertise.
3.
Details of the Development Committee’s responsibilities are stipulated in
the FIFA Governance Regulations.

42

Organising Committee for FIFA Competitions

The Organising Committee for FIFA Competitions shall organise all official
FIFA competitions in compliance with the provisions of the regulations

V. ORGANISATION 47
applicable to the respective competitions, the hosting documents and thehosting requirements contained or referred to therein, and shall also deal
with all matters relating to futsal and beach soccer.

43

Football Stakeholders Committee

The Football Stakeholders Committee shall deal with football matters,
particularly the structure of the game and the relationship between clubs,
players, leagues, member associations, confederations and FIFA as well aswith issues relating to the interests of club football worldwide, draw up
regulations governing these matters, and also analyse the basic aspects offootball training and technical development.

44

Member Associations Committee

The Member Associations Committee shall deal with relations between FIFAand its member associations as well as the member associations’ compliancewith the FIFA Statutes and draw up proposals for optimum cooperation.
The committee shall also monitor the evolution of the Statutes andregulations of FIFA, the confederations and member associations.

45

Referees Committee

The Referees Committee shall implement and interpret the Laws of theGame and may propose amendments to the Laws of the Game to theCouncil. It shall appoint the referees and assistant referees for matches incompetitions organised by FIFA.

46

Medical Committee

The Medical Committee shall deal with all medical aspects of football,including the fight against doping.

48 VI. ANNUAL MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS CONFERENCE

VI. ANNUAL MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS CONFERENCE

47

Annual member associations conferenceFIFA shall organise at least once a year, at its own cost, a member
associations conference for the presidents of the member associations
and/or their top executives, in order to address issues of high relevance forthe football world, such as, for instance, football development, integrity,social responsibility, governance, human rights, racism, match-fixing,
gender equality, protection of clean athletes and youth, and security.

VII. INDEPENDENT COMMITTEES 49
VII. INDEPENDENT COMMITTEES

48

Institutional independence

The independent committees as well as their individual members shallconduct their activities and perform their duties entirely independently
but always in the interests of FIFA and in accordance with the Statutes andregulations of FIFA.

49

Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee

1.
The Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee shall consist of at least
three members and not more than 15 members, all of whom must not belong
to any other FIFA body. The committee members shall be knowledgeable andexperienced in governance and/or financial and/or legal matters and may not
be involved in any decision affecting the operations of FIFA.
2.
Candidates for any position on the Governance, Audit and Compliance
Committee as well as the incumbent members of the committee shall fulfil
the independence criteria as defined in the FIFA Governance Regulations.
3.
The chairperson, deputy chairperson and members of the Governance,
Audit and Compliance Committee shall be elected by the Congress. Theirterms shall last four years, beginning at the end of the Congress which has
elected them. The chairperson, deputy chairperson and other members of
the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee may only be relieved of
their duties by the Congress.
4.
The chairperson, deputy chairperson and members of the Governance,
Audit and Compliance Committee may serve a maximum of three terms(whether consecutive or not).
5.
If the chairperson, deputy chairperson or a member of the Governance,
Audit and Compliance Committee resigns or becomes permanently

50 VII. INDEPENDENT COMMITTEES

incapacitated with regard to performing his functions during his termof office, the Council shall appoint a replacement to serve until the next
Congress, when a replacement shall be elected by the Congress for theremainder of the initial term of office.
6.
The Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee shall report to theCongress.
7.
The Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee shall advise, assist
and oversee the Council in monitoring FIFA’s financial, governance andcompliance matters, and monitor compliance with the FIFA GovernanceRegulations. It shall supervise the general secretariat.
8.
The Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee shall review theRelated-Party Declarations submitted by the members of FIFA committees inaccordance with the relevant provisions of the FIFA Governance Regulations.
9.
The Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee shall ensure thecompleteness and reliability of the financial accounting and review thefinancial statements, the consolidated financial statement and the external
auditors’ report. The committee shall furthermore monitor FIFA’s financial,governance and compliance matters including, in particular, the distribution
and flow of development-related funds, and suggest to the appropriate FIFAbodies any action that it deems necessary as a result of such monitoring.
10.
The Review Committee shall be composed of members of the Governance,
Audit and Compliance Committee, in accordance with the GovernanceRegulations.
11.
The Review Committee shall conduct eligibility checks in respect ofcandidates and incumbent members of the Council (including thePresident), of the standing committees, of the judicial bodies, of theFootball Tribunal and in respect of the Secretary General, and shall also
conduct independence reviews in respect of candidates and incumbent
members of the judicial bodies and the standing committees who must
fulfil the independence criteria in accordance with these Statutes and theFIFA Governance Regulations.

VII. INDEPENDENT COMMITTEES 51
12.
The committee shall establish a Compensation Sub-Committee, consistingof the chairperson of the Finance Committee, the chairperson of theGovernance, Audit and Compliance Committee and a third member to be
jointly appointed by the two chairpersons. This third member shall fulfil the
independence criteria as defined in the FIFA Governance Regulations.
13.
The Compensation Sub-Committee shall in particular define Compensation
Rules and determine the compensation of the FIFA President, the membersof the Council and the FIFA Secretary General. The individual compensationof the FIFA President, the members of the Council and the FIFA Secretary
General shall be made public.
14.
Details of the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee’s and theCompensation Sub-Committee’s responsibilities, their internal cooperationand other procedural matters are stipulated in the FIFA GovernanceRegulations.

50

Judicial bodies

1.
The judicial bodies of FIFA are:(a) the Disciplinary Committee;(b) the Ethics Committee; and(c) the Appeal Committee.
2.
The Disciplinary Committee and the Appeal Committee shall consist of achairperson, a deputy chairperson and a specific number of other members.
Both chambers of the Ethics Committee shall each consist of a chairperson,
two deputy chairpersons and a specific number of other members. The
composition of the judicial bodies should respect the fair distribution of
positions and take account of the member associations. When proposing
chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and other members of judicial bodies
to the Congress, the Council shall take into account appropriate female
representation on the judicial bodies.

52 VII. INDEPENDENT COMMITTEES

3.
The judicial bodies are to be composed in such a way that the members,
together, have the knowledge, abilities and specialist experience thatis necessary for the due completion of their tasks. The chairpersons anddeputy chairpersons of the judicial bodies shall be qualified to practise law.
4.
The chairperson and deputy chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee
and the chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and members of both chambersof the Ethics Committee and of the Appeal Committee shall fulfil the
independence criteria as defined in the FIFA Governance Regulations.
5.
The chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and other members of the judicial
bodies shall be elected by the Congress and shall not be members of
any other FIFA body. Their terms shall last four years, beginning at theend of the Congress which has elected them. The chairpersons, deputy
chairpersons and other members of the judicial bodies may only be relievedof their duties by the Congress.
6.
The chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and members of the judicial bodies
may each serve a maximum of three terms (whether consecutive or not).
7.
If a chairperson, a deputy chairperson or a member of a judicial body
resigns or becomes permanently incapacitated with regard to performing
his functions during his term of office, the Council shall appoint a
replacement to serve until the next Congress, when a replacement shall beelected by the Congress for the remainder of the initial term of office.
8.
The investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee shall conduct theeligibility checks and independence reviews in respect of candidates andincumbent members of the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee.
9.
The decision-making powers of certain committees remain unaffected.

VII. INDEPENDENT COMMITTEES 53

51

Disciplinary Committee

1.
The function of the Disciplinary Committee shall be governed by the FIFA
Disciplinary Code. The committee shall pass decisions only when at least
three members are present. In certain cases, the chairperson may rulealone.
2.
The Disciplinary Committee may pronounce the sanctions described inthese Statutes and the FIFA Disciplinary Code on member associations,clubs, officials, players, football agents and match agents.
3.
These provisions are subject to the disciplinary powers of the Congress
and Council with regard to the suspension and expulsion of member
associations.
4.
The Council shall issue the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
5.
The Disciplinary Committee may propose amendments to its regulations to
the Council.

52

Ethics Committee

1.
The function of the Ethics Committee shall be governed by the FIFA Codeof Ethics. It is divided into an investigatory chamber and an adjudicatorychamber. The adjudicatory chamber shall pass decisions if at least threemembers are present. The chairperson may pass decisions alone in specificcases.
2.
The Ethics Committee may pronounce the sanctions described in these
Statutes, the FIFA Code of Ethics and the FIFA Disciplinary Code on officials,
players, football agents and match agents.

54 VII. INDEPENDENT COMMITTEES

3.
The Council shall issue the FIFA Code of Ethics.
4.
The Ethics Committee may propose amendments to its regulations to theCouncil.

53

Appeal Committee

1.
The function of the Appeal Committee shall be governed by the FIFA
Disciplinary Code and the FIFA Code of Ethics. The committee shall passdecisions only when at least three members are present. In certain cases,
the chairperson may rule alone.
2.
The Appeal Committee is responsible for hearing appeals against decisions
from the Disciplinary Committee and the Ethics Committee that are notdeclared final by the relevant FIFA regulations.
3.
Decisions pronounced by the Appeal Committee shall be irrevocable andbinding on all the parties concerned. This provision is subject to appeals
lodged with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

VIII. FOOTBALL TRIBUNAL 55
VIII. FOOTBALL TRIBUNAL

54

Football Tribunal

1.
The Football Tribunal shall pass decisions relating to football-related
disputes and regulatory applications. It shall comprise three chambers:(a) the Dispute Resolution Chamber;(b) the Players’ Status Chamber; and(c) the Agents Chamber.
2.
The functions of the Football Tribunal shall be governed by the Procedural
Rules Governing the Football Tribunal, as issued by the Council.
3.
The Football Tribunal may pronounce the sanctions described in these
Statutes and the FIFA Disciplinary Code on member associations, clubs,
officials, players, football agents and match agents.
4.
These provisions are subject to the disciplinary powers of the Congress
and Council with regard to the suspension and expulsion of member
associations.
5.
The Football Tribunal may propose amendments to its regulations to theCouncil.

56 IX. DISCIPLINARY MEASURES

IX. DISCIPLINARY MEASURES

55

Disciplinary measures

The disciplinary measures are primarily:
1.
for natural and legal persons:(a) a warning;(b) a reprimand;(c) a fine;(d) the return of awards.
2.
for natural persons:(a) suspension for a specific number of matches or for a specific period;(b) a match suspension;(c) a ban from the dressing rooms and/or the substitutes’ bench;(d) a ban from entering a stadium;(e) a ban on taking part in any football-related activity;(f) social work;(g) compliance training;(h) community football service;(i) suspension or withdrawal of a football agent’s licence;(j) suspension or withdrawal of a match agent’s licence.

IX. DISCIPLINARY MEASURES 57
3.
for legal persons:(a) a ban on registering new players, either nationally or internationally;(b) playing a match without spectators;(c) playing a match with a limited number of spectators;(d) playing a match on neutral territory;(e) a ban on playing in a particular stadium;(f) annulment of the result of a match;(g) deduction of points;(h) relegation to a lower division;(i) expulsion from a competition in progress or from future competitions;(j) forfeit;(k) replaying a match;(l) implementation of a prevention plan;(m) (for member associations) payment of restitution to an affiliated club;(n) (for member associations) reduction or restriction of development
funding.

58 X. ARBITRATION

X. ARBITRATION

56

Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)1.
FIFA recognises the independent Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) with
headquarters in Lausanne (Switzerland) to resolve disputes between FIFA,member associations, confederations, leagues, clubs, players, officials,
football agents and match agents.
2.
The provisions of the CAS Code of Sports-related Arbitration shall apply tothe proceedings. CAS shall primarily apply the various regulations of FIFA
and, additionally, Swiss law.

57

Jurisdiction of CAS

1.
Appeals against final decisions passed by FIFA’s legal bodies and against
decisions passed by confederations, member associations or leagues shall belodged with CAS within 21 days of receipt of the decision in question.
2.
Recourse may only be made to CAS after all other internal channels havebeen exhausted.
3.
CAS, however, does not deal with appeals arising from:(a) violations of the Laws of the Game;(b) suspensions of up to four matches or up to three months (with the
exception of doping decisions);(c) decisions against which an appeal to an independent and duly
constituted arbitration tribunal recognised under the rules of an
association or confederation may be made.

X. ARBITRATION 59
4.
The appeal shall not have a suspensive effect. The appropriate FIFA body or,
alternatively, CAS may order the appeal to have a suspensive effect.
5.
FIFA is entitled to appeal to CAS against any internally final and binding
doping-related decision passed in particular by the confederations, member
associations or leagues in accordance with the provisions set out in the FIFA
Anti-Doping Regulations.
6.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is entitled to appeal to CAS
against any internally final and binding doping-related decision passed inparticular by FIFA, the confederations, member associations or leagues inaccordance with the provisions set out in the FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations.

58

Obligations relating to dispute resolution

1.
The confederations, member associations and leagues shall agree torecognise CAS as an independent judicial authority and to ensure that theirmembers, affiliated players and officials comply with the decisions passed
by CAS. The same obligation shall apply to football agents and matchagents that are licensed by FIFA.
2.
Recourse to ordinary courts of law is prohibited unless specifically provided
for in the FIFA regulations. Recourse to ordinary courts of law for all typesof provisional measures is also prohibited.
3.
The associations shall insert a clause in their statutes or regulations,stipulating that it is prohibited to take disputes in the association or
disputes affecting leagues, members of leagues, clubs, members of clubs,
players, officials and other association officials to ordinary courts of law,unless the FIFA regulations or binding legal provisions specifically provide
for or stipulate recourse to ordinary courts of law. Instead of recourse toordinary courts of law, provision shall be made for arbitration. Such disputes
shall be taken to an independent and duly constituted arbitration tribunal
recognised under the rules of the association or confederation or to CAS.

60 X. ARBITRATION

The associations shall also ensure that this stipulation is implemented in theassociation, if necessary by imposing a binding obligation on its members.
The associations shall impose sanctions on any party that fails to respect thisobligation and ensure that any appeal against such sanctions shall likewise
be strictly submitted to arbitration, and not to ordinary courts of law.

XI. SUBMISSION TO DECISIONS OF FIFA 61
XI. SUBMISSION TO DECISIONS OF FIFA

59

Implementation of decisions

1.
The confederations, member associations and leagues shall agree to comply
fully with any decisions passed by the relevant FIFA bodies which, according
to these Statutes, are final and not subject to appeal.
2.
They shall take every precaution necessary to ensure that their own
members, players and officials comply with these decisions.
3.
The same obligation applies to football agents and match agents.

60

Sanctions

Any violation of the foregoing provisions will be punished in compliancewith the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

62 XII. FINANCE

XII. FINANCE

61

Financial period1.
The financial period of FIFA shall be four years and shall begin on each
1 January in the year following the final competition of the FIFA World Cup™.
2.
The revenue and expenditure of FIFA shall be managed so that they balanceout over the financial period. FIFA’s major duties in the future shall be
guaranteed through the creation of reserves.
3.
The Secretary General is responsible for drawing up the annual consolidated
accounts of FIFA with its subsidiaries as at 31 December.

62

Auditors

The auditors shall audit the accounts and annual financial statements,
including the consolidated financial statements, approved by the Council andpresent a report to the Congress in accordance with applicable Swiss civil law.
The auditors shall be appointed for a period of three years. Their mandates
may be renewed.

63

Membership subscriptions

1.
Membership subscriptions are due on 1 January of each year. The annual
subscription for new member associations for the year in question shall be
paid within 30 days of the close of the Congress at which they were admitted.
2.
The Congress shall fix the amount of the annual subscription every four years
on the recommendation of the Council. It shall be the same for every member
association and amount to no more than USD 1,000.

XII. FINANCE 63

64

Settlement

FIFA may debit any member association’s account to settle claims.

65

Levies1.
The confederations may demand a levy on international matches
played between two “A” representative teams, in accordance with theconfederations’ statutes and regulations.
2.
Member associations may demand their own levy on matches played intheir territory, independently of their confederation, in accordance withthe member associations’ statutes and regulations.

64 XIII. RIGHTS IN COMPETITIONS AND EVENTS

XIII. RIGHTS IN COMPETITIONS AND EVENTS

66

Rights in competitions and events

1.
FIFA, its member associations and the confederations are the original
owners of all of the rights emanating from competitions and other events
coming under their respective jurisdiction, without any restrictions as tocontent, time, place and law. These rights include, among others, every
kind of financial rights, audiovisual and radio recording, reproduction andbroadcasting rights, multimedia rights, marketing and promotional rights
and incorporeal rights such as emblems and rights arising under copyrightlaw.
2.
The Council shall decide how and to what extent these rights are utilised
and draw up special regulations to this end. The Council shall decide alone
whether these rights shall be utilised exclusively, or jointly with a third
party, or entirely through a third party.

67

Authorisation to distribute

1.
FIFA, its member associations and the confederations are exclusively
responsible for authorising the distribution of image and sound and otherdata carriers of football matches and events coming under their respective
jurisdiction, without any restrictions as to content, time, place and technicaland legal aspects.
2.
The Council shall issue special regulations to this end.

XIV. COMPETITIONS 65
XIV. COMPETITIONS
A. FIFA FINAL COMPETITIONS

68

Competition venues

1.
The Council shall decide the venue for the final competitions organised
by FIFA, with the sole exception of the venue for the final competition of
the FIFA World Cup™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, which shall bedecided by the Congress in accordance with par. 2 of this article.
2.
The decision on the venue for the final competition of the FIFA World
Cup™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ aims to achieve the objective ofsecuring the best possible hosting conditions in the host country/countries
and shall follow the procedure below:(a) Based on specific regulations to be issued by the Council, the FIFA
general secretariat shall establish a fair and transparent bidding
procedure, inviting all qualified member associations to submit a bid
and defining in detail the requirements for the bidding and hosting aswell as criteria for selecting the host of the event.
(b) Based on its best judgement, the FIFA general secretariat shall submit
to the Council a public report evaluating the compliance of all bids withthe bidding procedure and the requirements for hosting the event,taking into consideration the defined criteria for selecting the host.
(c) The Council shall review the report and designate, based on its best
judgement and in an open ballot, up to three bids to be submitted
to the Congress for a final decision. The result of each ballot and therelated votes by the members of the Council shall be made public.
(d) The Congress shall select the host venue from the bids designated by
the Council. An absolute majority (more than 50%) of the member
associations present and eligible to vote is necessary in the first ballot.
If an absolute majority is not reached in the first ballot, then the bid
with the lowest number of votes in the first ballot is eliminated. In thesecond ballot, or if fewer than three bids are presented to the Congress,a simple majority (more than 50%) of the valid votes cast is sufficient.

66 XIV. COMPETITIONS

The result of each ballot and the related votes by the members of theCongress shall be made public.
3.
A Congress may not award the hosting rights to more than one FIFA World
Cup™ at the same meeting.
4.
The right to host the event shall not be awarded to members of the same
confederation for two consecutive editions of the FIFA World Cup™.

XIV. COMPETITIONS 67
B. INTERNATIONAL MATCHES AND COMPETITIONS

69

International match calendar

The Council shall compile an international match calendar that shall bebinding upon the confederations, member associations and leagues, after
conferring with the confederations.

70

International matches and competitions

1.
The Council shall be responsible for issuing regulations for organisinginternational matches and competitions between representative teams andbetween leagues, club and/or scratch teams. No such match or competition
shall take place without the prior permission of FIFA, the confederations
and/or the member associations in accordance with the Regulations
Governing International Matches.
2.
The Council may issue further provisions for such matches andcompetitions.
3.
The Council shall determine any criteria for authorising line-ups that are
not covered by the Regulations Governing International Matches.
4.
Notwithstanding the authorisation competences as set forth in theRegulations Governing International Matches, FIFA may take the final
decision on the authorisation of any international match or competition.

71

Contacts

1.
Players and teams affiliated to member associations or provisional membersof the confederations may not play matches or make sporting contacts

68 XIV. COMPETITIONS

with players or teams that are not affiliated to member associations orprovisional members of the confederations without the approval of FIFA.
2.
Member associations and their clubs may not play on the territory of
another member association without the latter’s approval.

72

Authorisation

Associations, leagues or clubs that are affiliated to a member association
may only join another member association or take part in competitions onthat member association’s territory under exceptional circumstances.
In each case, authorisation must be given by both member associations, therespective confederation(s) and by FIFA.

XV. FINAL PROVISIONS 69
XV. FINAL PROVISIONS

73

Dissolution

If FIFA is disbanded, its assets shall be transferred to the supreme court ofthe country in which its headquarters are situated. It shall hold these assets
in trust as “bonus pater familiae” until FIFA is re-established.

74

Transitory provisions

1.
Following the amendments to the FIFA Statutes as adopted at the 71st FIFA
Congress on 21 May 2021:(a) Within 30 days of the conclusion of the Congress, the FIFA Council shallappoint the new members of the Football Tribunal.
(b) The Dispute Resolution Chamber shall continue to operate as before andshall be integrated into the Football Tribunal as from the date of formal
constitution of the Players’ Status Chamber and the Agents Chamber.
(c) Until the Players’ Status Chamber and the Agents Chamber are
constituted, the members of the Players’ Status Committee shall deal
with matters relating to the Players’ Status Chamber and the Agents
Chamber.
2.
For members of committees elected or appointed before 27 April 2016, theterm limits set forth in arts 33, 49 and 50 of these Statutes shall only apply
as from the date of completion of their respective mandates.

70 XV. FINAL PROVISIONS

75

Enforcement

These Statutes were adopted at the Congress on 21 May 2021 and comeinto force immediately after adoption.

21 May 2021

For FIFA

President
Gianni Infantino

Secretary General
Fatma Samoura

I. APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION TO FIFA 71

REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE APPLICATION
OF THE STATUTES
I. APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION TO FIFA

1

Application for admission

The Council may lay down the procedure for admission in special
regulations.

2

Confederations

1.
The Council shall decide whether the association fulfils the requirements
for admission to FIFA based on the confederation’s final report.
2.
If the requirements have been fulfilled, the next Congress shall decide
whether to admit the association or not.

72 II. MATCH AGENTS AND FOOTBALL AGENTS

II. MATCH AGENTS AND FOOTBALL AGENTS

3

Match agents

1.
Match agents may be employed to arrange friendly matches.
2.
Match agents shall hold a FIFA licence.
3.
The Council shall issue Match Agent Regulations governing the occupationof match agents.

4

Football agents

1.
Players, coaches, clubs, leagues and associations are entitled to engage
the services of a football agent to provide services in relation to thetransfer and/or employment of players and coaches when concluding an
employment contract and/or a transfer agreement.
2.
Football agents shall hold a FIFA licence.
3.
The Council shall issue Football Agent Regulations governing theoccupation of football agents.

III. ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY FOR REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS 73
III. ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY FOR REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS

5

Principles

1.
Any person holding a permanent nationality that is not dependent on
residence in a certain country is eligible to play for the representative
teams of the association of that country.
2.
There is a distinction between holding a nationality and being eligible toobtain a nationality. A player holds a nationality if, through the operationof a national law, they have:(a) automatically received a nationality (e.g. from birth) without being
required to undertake any further administrative requirements (e.g.
abandoning a separate nationality); or(b) acquired a nationality by undertaking a naturalisation process.
3.
With the exception of the conditions specified in art. 9 below, any player
who has already participated in a match (either in full or in part) in an
official competition of any category or any type of football for one
association may not play an international match for a representative teamof another association.
4.
For the purposes of arts 6 to 9 below, the phrase ”lived on the territory of
the relevant association” shall mean a period of physical presence on the
territory of that association. The period shall be for a defined period oftime (in years) in accordance with the relevant provision.
(a) The period of physical presence is not interrupted by:(i) short absences abroad for personal reasons;(ii) holidays abroad during the football off-season;(iii) medical treatment or rehabilitation abroad following injury orillness; or74

III. ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY FOR REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS(iv) travel abroad as a result of football employment.
(b) The period of physical presence is interrupted (and time requirement
resets) where:(i) a player is transferred to a club affiliated to a different association;or(ii) a player is absent from a territory for any reason other than thoseset out in par. (a) above.
5.
Notwithstanding art. 5 par. 4 (a), unless exceptional circumstances exist, aplayer must be physically present on the territory of an association for atleast 183 days during a 12 month period to be considered to have “lived
on the territory” of that association for that year.
6.
For the purposes of arts 6 to 9 below, the Procedural Rules Governing theFootball Tribunal shall govern any requests for eligibility or change ofassociation.

6

Nationality entitling players to represent more than one
association

1.
A player who, under the terms of art. 5, is eligible to represent morethan one association on account of his nationality, may play in aninternational match for one of these associations only if, in addition toholding the relevant nationality, he fulfils at least one of the following
conditions:(a) He was born on the territory of the relevant association;(b) His biological mother or biological father was born on the territory of
the relevant association;(c) His grandmother or grandfather was born on the territory of therelevant association;(d) He has lived on the territory of the relevant association for at least five
years.

III. ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY FOR REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS

2.
Regardless of par. 1 above, associations sharing a common nationality may
make an agreement under which item (d) of par. 1 of this article is deletedcompletely or amended to specify a longer time limit. Such agreements
shall be lodged with and approved by the Council.
3.
The associations which share a common nationality shall be identified andupdated as appropriate by the FIFA general secretariat in a circular.

7

Acquisition of a new nationality

1.
Any player who refers to art. 5 par. 1 to assume a new nationality and who
has not played international football in accordance with art. 5 par. 3 shallbe eligible to play for the representative teams of the new association only
if he fulfils one of the following conditions:(a) He was born on the territory of the relevant association;(b) His biological mother or biological father was born on the territory of
the relevant association;(c) His grandmother or grandfather was born on the territory of therelevant association;(d) He has lived on the territory of the relevant association:(i) for players that began living on the territory before the age of 10:
at least three years;(ii) for players that began living on the territory between the age of 10
and 18: at least five years;(iii) for players that began living on the territory from the age of 18:
at least five years.

75

76

III. ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY FOR REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS

2.
A player who seeks to rely upon par. d (ii) must:(a) demonstrate that the move to the territory of the association was not
for the purpose of participating for its representative teams; and(b) submit, via the relevant association, a request for eligibility to theFootball Tribunal.

8Stateless individuals

1.
A player that:(a) does not hold any nationality; and(b) due to national law of the country of their domicile, will never be
granted the nationality of such country,
may be declared eligible to play for the representative teams of theassociation concerned, provided that:(c) he has lived on the territory of the relevant association for at least five
years; and(d) he can demonstrate that the move to the territory of the association
was not for the purpose of participating for its representative teams.
2.
A player who seeks to rely upon par. 1 must submit, via the relevant
association, a request for eligibility to the Football Tribunal.

9

Change of association

1.
A player may, only once, request to change the association for which heis eligible to play to the association of another country of which he holds
nationality.

III. ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY FOR REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS 77

2.
A request to change association may be granted only in the following
circumstances:(a) the player:(i) was fielded in a match in an official competition at any level (withthe exception of “A” international level) in any kind of football for his
current association; and(ii) at the time of being fielded for his first match in an official
competition in any kind of football for his current association, he alreadyheld the nationality of the association which he wishes to represent.
(b) the player:(i) was fielded in a match in an official competition at any level (withthe exception of “A” international level) in any kind of football for his
current association;(ii) at the time of being fielded for his first match in an official
competition in any kind of football for his current association, he did not
hold the nationality of the association which he wishes to represent;(iii) at the time of being fielded for his last match in an official
competition in any kind of football for his current association, he had
not turned 21 years old; and(iv) meets any of the requirements provided in art. 6 or 7.
(c) the player:(i) was fielded in a match in an official competition at “A” international
level in any kind of football for his current association;(ii) at the time of being fielded for his first match in an official competition(at any level) in any kind of football for his current association, he held thenationality of the association which he wishes to represent;(iii) at the time of being fielded for his last match in an official competitionin any kind of football for his current association, he had not turned 21
years old;

78

III. ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY FOR REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS(iv) was fielded in no more than three matches at “A” international
level in any kind of football for his current association, whether in an
official competition or non-official competition;(v) at least three years have passed since being fielded for his lastmatch at “A” international level in any kind of football for his
current association, whether in an official competition or non-official
competition; and(vi) has never participated in any kind of football at “A” international
level in the final tournament of the FIFA World Cup or a final
tournament of a confederation competition.
(d) the player:(i) wishes to represent an association that was admitted to FIFAmembership after he was fielded in his first match in an official
competition (at any level) in any kind of football for his current
association;(ii) was never fielded in a match in an official competition (at any level)in any kind of football for his current association after the association
which he wishes to represent was admitted to FIFA membership;(iii) at the time of being fielded for his first match in an official
competition (at any level) in any kind of football for his current
association:
a. held the nationality of the association which he wishes to		 represent; orb. obtained the nationality of the association which he wishes		 to represent as soon as reasonably practicable after the country
		 was recognised by the majority of members of the United
		Nations;(iv) meets any of the requirements provided in art. 6 or 7.
(e) the player:(i) was fielded in a match in an official competition at “A” international
level in any kind of football for his current association;

III. ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY FOR REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS(ii) permanently loses his nationality without his consent or against his
will due to a decision by a government authority; and(iii) holds the nationality of the association that he wishes to represent.
3.
A player is not permitted to play for his new association in any competitionin which he has already played for his previous association.
4.
A player who seeks to rely upon par. 2 must submit, via the relevant
association, a request for change of association to the Football Tribunal.
5.
A player that was:(a) granted a change of association; and(b) was not fielded in a match in any (official or unofficial) competitionin any kind of football by the new association,
may request a change of association back to his former association
provided he continues to hold the nationality of such association.
6.
A player who seeks to rely upon par. 5 must submit, via the relevant
association, a request for change of association to the Football Tribunal.
7.
A player that has filed a request in accordance with this article is not
eligible to participate for any representative team until the request has
been decided upon.

79

80 IV. SPORTING INTEGRITY

IV. SPORTING INTEGRITY

10

Principle of promotion and relegation

1.
A club’s entitlement to take part in a domestic league championship shalldepend principally on sporting merit. A club shall qualify for a domestic
league championship by remaining in a certain division or by being
promoted or relegated to another at the end of a season.
2.
In addition to qualification on sporting merit, a club’s participation in adomestic league championship may be subject to other criteria within thescope of the licensing procedure, whereby the emphasis is on sporting,infrastructural, administrative, legal and financial considerations. Licensing
decisions must be able to be examined by the member association’s body of
appeal.
3.
Altering the legal form or company structure of a club to facilitate
its qualification on sporting merit and/or its receipt of a licence for adomestic league championship, to the detriment of the integrity of asports competition, is prohibited. This includes, for example, changing theheadquarters, changing the name or transferring stakeholdings between
different clubs. Prohibitive decisions must be able to be examined by themember association’s body of appeal.
4.
Each member association is responsible for deciding national issues, which
may not be delegated to the leagues. Each confederation is responsiblefor deciding issues involving more than one association concerning its own
territory. FIFA is responsible for deciding international issues involving morethan one confederation.

V. LAWS OF THE GAME
V. LAWS OF THE GAME

11

Amendments to the Laws of the Game

1.
FIFA shall notify its member associations of any amendments and decisions
regarding the Laws of the Game within one month of the ordinary annual
meeting of The IFAB.
2.
The member associations shall enforce these amendments and decisions
no later than 1 July following The IFAB’s annual meeting. Exceptions may
be granted only to member associations whose football season has not
terminated by this date.
3.
Member associations may apply such amendments and decisions as soon as
they have been issued by The IFAB.

81

82 VI. REFEREES AND ASSISTANT REFEREES

VI. REFEREES AND ASSISTANT REFEREES

12

Nomination

1.
Each referee and assistant referee appointed to an international matchshall belong to a neutral member association unless otherwise previously
agreed by the member associations concerned.
2.
The referee and assistant referees chosen to officiate at an international
match shall be included in the official FIFA List of International Referees
and Assistant Referees.

13

Report1.
The referee of every international “A” match shall send a report within
48 hours of the match both to FIFA and the member association on whose
territory the match was played.
2.
This report shall be made on the official form given to the referee by themember association under whose jurisdiction the match was played.
3.
The report shall record all the disciplinary measures taken and the reasonsfor these measures.

VI. REFEREES AND ASSISTANT REFEREES

14

Reimbursement

1.
Referees and assistant referees at international matches shall be entitled to:(a) a daily allowance;(b) reimbursement of travel expenses.
FIFA shall determine the amounts, travel category and number of days due
for reimbursement to which referees and assistant referees are entitled.
2.
The amount owed to the referees and assistant referees shall be paid tothem in an easily convertible currency on the same day as the match by theorganising member association.
3.
The expenses for hotel and board incurred by referees and assistantreferees of international matches shall be borne by the organising member
association.

83

84 VII. FINAL PROVISIONS

VII. FINAL PROVISIONS

15

Objectives

1.
FIFA shall ensure that its objectives are achieved and secured solely by using
suitable material and human resources either of its own or by delegating
to member associations or confederations or by working with theconfederations in accordance with the FIFA Statutes.
2.
With reference to art. 2 (g) of the FIFA Statutes, FIFA shall take action
especially, but not exclusively, against irregular betting activities, doping
and racism. These activities are prohibited and subject to sanctions.

16

Enforcement

The Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes were adopted
at the Congress on 21 May 2021 and come into force immediately after
adoption.

21 May 2021

For FIFA

President
Gianni Infantino

Secretary General
Fatma Samoura

STANDING ORDERS OF THE CONGRESS 85

STANDING ORDERS OF THE CONGRESSSTANDING ORDERS OF THE CONGRESS

1

Participation in the Congress

1.
Each member association may be represented at the Congress by amaximum of three delegates, all of whom may take part in the debates.
2.
The names of the delegates, including the one with the right to vote,shall be submitted to the general secretariat before the opening of theCongress. The general secretariat enters the delegates mentioned on toa list (numbered 1 to 3). The delegate with the right to vote is enteredas number 1. If the delegate with the right to vote leaves the Congress
during the debates, the delegate entered as number 2 on the member
association’s delegation list is entitled to vote. If this delegate is also absent,
the delegate entered as number 3 is entitled to vote.
3.
FIFA shall bear the costs of travel and accommodation for three delegatesof each member association taking part in the Congress. The Council shallissue appropriate directives in this connection.

2

Chair

1.
The President shall chair the Congress. If the President is unable to attend,
the longest-serving vice-president available shall deputise. If none of thevice-presidents is present, the Congress shall elect a member of the Council
as chairperson.
2.
The chair shall ensure that the Congress is conducted in strict compliancewith these Standing Orders, open and close the Congress and debates, and,
unless the Congress decides otherwise, grant delegates permission to speakand conduct all discussions.

86 STANDING ORDERS OF THE CONGRESS3.
The chair shall be responsible for maintaining order during debates.
He may take the following action against any Congress participant who
disturbs the debates:(a) a call to order;(b) a reprimand;(c) exclusion from one or more sessions.
4.
If an appeal is made against such action, the Congress shall decide
immediately without debate.

3

Scrutineers

At the beginning of the first session, the Congress shall appoint anadequate number of scrutineers to count the votes and to assist the
Secretary General in distributing and counting voting papers issued for theelections. The Council may decide to use electronic equipment to determine
the results of a vote.

4Interpreters

Official interpreters shall be appointed to translate into the official
languages of the Congress. They shall be appointed by the Secretary
General.

STANDING ORDERS OF THE CONGRESS 87

5

Debates1.
Debates on each item on the agenda shall be preceded by a short report:(a) by the chair or a member of the Council designated for this purpose;(b) by a representative of the committee designated by the Council togive a report;(c) by a delegate from the member association that requested the item
be included in the agenda.
2.
The chair then opens the debate.

6

Speakers

1.
Permission to speak is granted in the order in which it is requested. A
speaker may not begin speaking until he has obtained permission to doso. Speakers shall address the Congress from the rostrum intended for thispurpose.
2.
A speaker may not speak for a second time on the same item until all otherdelegates who have requested permission to speak have spoken.

88 STANDING ORDERS OF THE CONGRESS

7

Proposals

1.
All proposals shall be submitted in writing. Proposals which are not relevantto the subject under discussion shall not be admitted to the debate.
2.
Any amendment shall be drawn up in writing and passed to the chair
before being put to the debate.

8

Procedural motions and closing of debates

1.
If a procedural motion is made, discussion on the main question shall besuspended until a vote has been taken on the motion.
2.
If a motion is made to close the discussion, it shall immediately be put tothe vote without debate. If the motion is approved, permission to speak
shall only be granted to those member associations who have asked to
speak before the vote was taken.
3.
The chair shall close the discussion unless the Congress decides otherwise bya simple majority (more than 50%) of the valid votes cast.

STANDING ORDERS OF THE CONGRESS 89

9

Votes

1.
Voting by secret ballot is prohibited. Voting by proxy or by letter is not
permitted at a Congress held in person. When a Congress is held byteleconference, by videoconference or by another means of communication,
voting by correspondence and/or online is permitted.
2.
Before each vote, the chair, or the person designated by him, shall read thetext of the proposal aloud and explain the voting procedure (quorum) to theCongress. If an objection is raised, the Congress shall decide immediately.
3.
Votes may be taken by roll call if requested by at least 15 of the member
associations present and eligible to vote.
4.
No-one is compelled to vote.
5.
As a rule, votes are taken by a show of hands (voting cards) or by the use ofelectronic equipment.
6.
Proposals shall be put to the vote in the order in which they are submitted.
If there are more than two main proposals, they shall be put to the vote insuccession and the delegates may not vote for more than one of the proposals.
7.
Alterations to amendments shall be put to the vote before the amendments
proper, and amendments before the main proposal.
8.
Proposals without a vote against are regarded as having been passed.
9.
The chair shall check the result of the vote and announce it to the Congress.
10.
No one is permitted to speak during the vote and until after the result has
been announced.

90 STANDING ORDERS OF THE CONGRESS

10Elections1.
Elections shall be carried out by secret ballot. They shall either be conductedwith ballot papers or by using televoters, electronic vote counters thatguarantee the secrecy of the election. Elections of the President shall not
be carried out by using televoters. The Secretary General, assisted by the
scrutineers, shall conduct the distribution and counting of the ballot papers
or the distribution and evaluation of the televoters.
2.
The number of ballot papers that have been distributed shall be announced
by the chair before the count.
3.
If the number of ballot papers returned is equal to or fewer than thenumber of ballot papers distributed, the election shall be declared valid.
If the number returned exceeds that of the ballot papers distributed,
the vote shall be declared null and void and another vote shall be taken
immediately.
4.
The chair shall announce the result of each ballot.
5.
The Secretary General shall put the ballot papers that have been collected
and counted into envelopes intended for this purpose and seal them
immediately. The general secretariat shall keep these envelopes anddestroy them 100 days after the end of the Congress.

STANDING ORDERS OF THE CONGRESS 91

11

Calculation of majorities

1.
The simple majority (more than 50%) shall be calculated for elections,votes and other decisions on the basis of the number of valid ballot papers
collected or the number of valid votes cast electronically. Blank ballot
papers, invalid votes or electronic votes manipulated in any other way
as well as abstentions shall be disregarded when calculating the simple
majority.
2.
The absolute majority (more than 50%) shall be calculated on the basis of
the number of member associations present and eligible to vote.
3.
If during an election a member association casts two or more votes insupport of one candidate on one ballot paper or through an electronic
vote counter in an election round, or if during a vote a member association
casts two or more votes for the same matter, only the last vote cast shall beconsidered valid and counted.

92 STANDING ORDERS OF THE CONGRESS

12

Enforcement

These Standing Orders of the Congress were adopted by the Congress on
18 September 2020 and come into force immediately after adoption.

18 September 2020

For FIFA

President
Gianni Infantino

Secretary General
Fatma Samoura

05.21 HD 1000 w stm/rsi

Fédération Internationale de Football Association