History of FIFA in Timeline

FIFA, or the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, is the international governing body for association football, beach soccer, and futsal. Founded in 1904, it was created to supervise international competitions between national football associations. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, FIFA's membership has grown to include 211 national associations, each affiliated with one of six regional confederations: CAF (Africa), AFC (Asia), UEFA (Europe), CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean), OFC (Oceania), and CONMEBOL (South America). It plays a vital role in standardizing the rules of the game and organizing major international tournaments.

May 1904: FIFA Founded in Paris

On 21 May 1904, FIFA was founded in Paris, France by the national associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain (represented by Real Madrid CF), Sweden, and Switzerland.

1906: Daniel Burley Woolfall Becomes FIFA President

In 1906, Daniel Burley Woolfall became president of FIFA.

1906: Daniel Burley Woolfall Replaces Robert Guérin

In 1906, Daniel Burley Woolfall from England replaced Robert Guérin as the president of FIFA.

1908: FIFA's First Tournament at the Olympics

In 1908, FIFA staged its first tournament, the association football competition for the London Olympics, which proved successful despite the participation of professional footballers.

1909: South Africa Joins FIFA

In 1909, South Africa became a member of FIFA, marking an expansion of the organization beyond Europe.

1912: Argentina Joins FIFA

In 1912, Argentina became a member of FIFA, further expanding its reach.

1912: Inclusion of FIFA in Spalding's Official Guide

In 1912, the Spalding Athletic Library "Official Guide" included information on FIFA, showcasing its growing recognition.

1913: Canada and Chile Join FIFA

In 1913, Canada and Chile joined FIFA, continuing the organization's expansion.

1913: Creation of the Royal Spanish Football Federation

In 1913, the Royal Spanish Football Federation was created.

1914: United States Joins FIFA

In 1914, the United States became a member of FIFA, further solidifying its global presence.

1918: End of Daniel Burley Woolfall's Presidency

Daniel Burley Woolfall's presidency of FIFA ended in 1918.

1930: Inaugural FIFA World Cup

In 1930, FIFA organized the first World Cup, marking a significant milestone in the promotion of international football.

1930: First FIFA World Cup in Uruguay

In 1930, the first World Cup was held in Montevideo, Uruguay, marking a historic moment for FIFA and international football.

1970: Request to Refrain from Slow-Motion Play-Back

In 1970, the International Football Association Board agreed to request television authorities to refrain from any slow-motion play-back that reflected adversely on referee decisions.

1989: ISL began bribing FIFA officials

In 1989, ISL began bribing FIFA officials in exchange for marketing contracts for successive World Cups.

1991: Inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup

In 1991, FIFA launched the first Women's World Cup, expanding its portfolio of international tournaments.

1994: Adoption of FIFA Anthem

Since the 1994 FIFA World Cup, FIFA has adopted an anthem composed by Franz Lambert, which is played at official FIFA sanctioned matches and tournaments.

1997: João Havelange allegedly accepted bribe from ISL

In 1997, João Havelange allegedly accepted a $1 million 'bung' from ISL.

1998: Extraordinary Sessions Held Annually Since 1998

Since 1998, extraordinary sessions of the FIFA Congress have been held annually.

1999: ISL bribed FIFA officials

In 1999, ISL continued bribing FIFA officials in exchange for marketing contracts for successive World Cups.

2000: FIFA Club of the Century and FIFA Player of the Century awards

In 2000, FIFA presented two awards, FIFA Club of the Century and FIFA Player of the Century, to decide the greatest football club and player of the 20th century. Real Madrid was the club winner, while Diego Maradona and Pelé were the joint player's winners.

May 2006: Andrew Jennings' book "Foul!" exposes FIFA corruption

In May 2006, British investigative reporter Andrew Jennings' book "Foul! The Secret World of FIFA: Bribes, Vote-Rigging, and Ticket Scandals" caused controversy by detailing an alleged cash-for-contracts scandal following the collapse of FIFA's marketing partner International Sport and Leisure (ISL) and revealed how some football officials had been urged to secretly repay the sweeteners they received.

Foul!: The Secret World of Fifa: Bribes, Vote Rigging and Ticket Scandals

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June 2006: BBC Panorama exposes Sepp Blatter investigation

In June 2006, a BBC Panorama exposé by Andrew Jennings and BBC producer Roger Corke reported that Sepp Blatter was being investigated by Swiss police over his role in a secret deal to repay more than £1m worth of bribes pocketed by football officials. Lord Triesman, described FIFA as an organization that "behaves like a mafia family."

2007: FIFA Ruling on Player Registrations

In 2007, a FIFA ruling limited player registration to a maximum of three clubs and official match appearances for a maximum of two clubs in a year, leading to controversy and subsequent modification of the ruling.

2007: FIFA Broadcast Partners Required to Use Anthem

Since 2007, FIFA has required most of its broadcast partners to use short sequences including the anthem at the beginning and end of FIFA event coverage and for break bumpers.

2008: Sepp Blatter's Stance on Referee Errors

In 2008, FIFA president Sepp Blatter stated that football should be left with errors and that the referee's decision, not a machine's, should prevail.

November 2010: FIFA executive committee members banned for allegedly offering to sell votes

In November 2010, Two members of FIFA's executive committee were banned from all football-related activity for allegedly offering to sell their votes to undercover newspaper reporters.

November 2010: Panorama alleges FIFA officials received bribes from ISL

In November 2010, a Panorama exposé alleged that three senior FIFA officials, Nicolas Leoz, Issa Hayatou and Ricardo Teixeira, had been paid huge bribes by ISL between 1989 and 1999, which FIFA had failed to investigate.

2010: High-Profile Goal-Line Incident

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, a controversial incident occurred when a shot by Frank Lampard crossed the goal line but was not recognized by match officials, prompting FIFA to re-examine the use of goal-line technology.

2010: Use of African Music for Bumpers

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, an original piece of African music was used for bumpers, as an exception to the standard practice.

2010: Secret Bonuses Paid to Committee Members

Following the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, leaked documents indicated that $4.4 million in secret bonuses had been paid to the committee members.

2010: Mel Brennan goes public with allegations of corruption

In 2010, Mel Brennan, a former CONCACAF official, became the first high-level football insider to go public with substantial allegations of corruption, nonfeasance, and malfeasance by CONCACAF and FIFA leadership. Brennan exposed allegedly inappropriate allocations of money by CONCACAF and drew connections between ostensible CONCACAF criminality and similar behaviours at FIFA.

May 2011: Allegations of bribery in 2022 World Cup vote

In May 2011, allegations surfaced that FIFA executive committee members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma were paid $1.5 million to vote for Qatar in the 2022 World Cup vote.

May 2011: British parliamentary inquiry into England's failed 2018 bid

In early May 2011, a British parliamentary inquiry into why England failed to secure the 2018 finals was told by a member of parliament, Damian Collins, that there was evidence from The Sunday Times newspaper that Issa Hayatou of Cameroon and Jacques Anouma of Ivory Coast were paid by Qatar.

May 2011: FIFA Opens Investigation into Officials' Conduct

On 25 May 2011, FIFA announced it had opened an investigation into the conduct of Mohamed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner, along with Caribbean Football Union (CFU) officials Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester, relating to claims made by Chuck Blazer regarding violations of the FIFA code of ethics during a meeting organized by Bin Hammam and Warner on 10 and 11 May, linked to the 2011 FIFA presidential election.

May 2011: Fred Lunn Alleges Bribery Attempt

On 30 May 2011, Fred Lunn, vice-president of the Bahamas Football Association, claimed he was given $40,000 in cash as an inducement to vote for FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam.

May 2011: The Sunday Times to bring whistle-blower to meet FIFA officials

As of May 2011, FIFA president Blatter said that the British newspaper The Sunday Times has agreed to bring its whistle-blowing source to meet senior FIFA officials, who will decide whether to order a new investigation into alleged World Cup bidding corruption.

June 2011: IOC starts inquiry proceedings against João Havelange

In June 2011, the International Olympic Committee started inquiry proceedings against FIFA honorary president João Havelange into claims of bribery. Panorama alleged that Havelange accepted a $1 million 'bung' in 1997 from ISL.

June 2011: Louis Giskus Alleges Bribery Attempt

On 11 June 2011, Louis Giskus, president of the Surinamese Football Association, alleged he was given $40,000 in cash for "development projects" as an incentive to vote for Mohamed Bin Hammam.

October 2011: Dick Pound Criticizes FIFA

In October 2011, Dick Pound criticized FIFA, stating that "FIFA has fallen far short of a credible demonstration that it recognizes the many problems it faces, that it has the will to solve them, that it is willing to be transparent about what it is doing and what it finds, and that its conduct in the future will be such that the public can be confident in the governance of the sport."

2011: Compensation for the FIFA Management Committee in 2011

In 2011, the total compensation for the FIFA management committee, consisting of 35 people, was 30 million.

July 2012: FIFA Sanctions Goal-Line Technology

In July 2012, FIFA sanctioned the use of goal-line technology, subject to rules specified by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

July 2012: FIFA Appoints Ethics Committee Chairmen

On 17 July 2012, FIFA appointed US lawyer Michael J. Garcia as chairman of the investigative chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee, and German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert as chairman of the Ethics Committee's adjudication chamber, following announced anti-corruption reforms by Sepp Blatter.

August 2012: Garcia to Investigate 2018 and 2022 World Cup Bids

In August 2012, Michael Garcia declared his intention to investigate the bidding process and decision to award the right to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup to Russia and the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar.

2013: Financial misconduct charges and guilty pleas

Between 2013 and 2015 four individuals, and two sports television rights corporations pleaded guilty to United States financial misconduct charges.

June 2014: Salary Increase for FIFA Committee Members

In June 2014, a report indicated that the salaries of FIFA committee members had doubled from $100,000 to $200,000 during the year.

September 2014: Garcia Delivers Report on World Cup Bids

In September 2014, Michael Garcia delivered his 350-page report on the investigation of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding processes. Hans-Joachim Eckert announced that the report would not be made public for legal reasons.

November 2014: Eckert Releases Summary Clearing Russia and Qatar

On 13 November 2014, Hans-Joachim Eckert released a 42-page summary of his findings after reviewing Garcia's report, clearing both Russia and Qatar of any wrongdoing during the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, allowing them to stage their respective World Cups.

December 2014: Garcia Resigns as FIFA Ethics Investigator

In December 2014, Michael Garcia criticized Eckert's summary as "materially incomplete" and resigned as FIFA ethics investigator in protest of FIFA's conduct, citing a "lack of leadership". On 16 December 2014, FIFA's Appeal Committee dismissed Garcia's appeal against Eckert's summary.

2014: Dave Zirin calls for abolishing FIFA

In a 2014 interview, American sportswriter Dave Zirin said that corruption is endemic to FIFA leadership and that the organization should be abolished for the game's good.

May 2015: Guilty pleas and sentencing in match-fixing case

In May 2015 pleas of Chuck Blazer, José Hawilla, Daryan Warner, Darrell Warner, Traffic Group and Traffic Sports USA were unsealed. In another 2015 case, Singapore also imposed a 6-year "harshest sentence ever received for match-fixing" on match-fixer Eric Ding.

May 2015: Arrests of FIFA officials on corruption charges

In May 2015, 14 people were arrested, including nine FIFA officials, after being accused of corruption.

May 2015: Arrest of FIFA officials on suspicion of bribery

In May 2015, FIFA's top officials were arrested at a hotel in Switzerland on suspicion of receiving bribes totalling $100m (£65m). The US Department of Justice stated that nine FIFA officials and four executives of sports management companies were arrested and accused of over $150m in bribes.

May 2015: Indictment of FIFA officials by US Department of Justice

In May 2015, Fourteen FIFA officials and marketing executives were indicted by the United States Department of Justice. The officials were arrested in Switzerland and are in the process of extradition to the US. Specific charges (brought under the RICO act) include wire fraud, racketeering, and money laundering.

May 2015: Arrests of FIFA Officials

On 27 May 2015, several high-ranking FIFA officials were arrested by Swiss authorities amidst investigations into corruption related to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

May 2015: 2015 FIFA Corruption Scandal Exposed

On 27 May 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted 14 FIFA officials and marketing executives, charging them with receiving approximately $150 million in bribes over two decades.

June 2015: Swiss Authorities Claim Garcia Report of Little Value

In June 2015, Swiss authorities claimed that the Garcia report was of "little value" regarding the investigation of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.

September 2015: Blatter suggests pre-planned 2018 and 2022 World Cup awards

In September 2015, Sepp Blatter suggested that the 2018 World Cup being awarded to Russia was planned before the voting, and that the 2022 World Cup would have then been awarded to the United States. However, this plan changed after the election ballot, and the 2022 World Cup was awarded to Qatar instead of the US.

February 2016: Gianni Infantino Elected as FIFA President

On 26 February 2016, Gianni Infantino was elected as the president of FIFA at an extraordinary FIFA Congress session after Sepp Blatter was suspended.

2016: The Best FIFA Football Awards established

Since 2016, FIFA holds an annual awards ceremony called The Best FIFA Football Awards, which recognizes individual and team achievements in international association football. Top players and coaches are awarded.

May 2017: FIFA Council Removes Ethics Committee Members

On 9 May 2017, The FIFA Council decided not to renew the mandates of Cornel Borbély and Hans-Joachim Eckert, chairmen of the ethics committee, following a proposal by Gianni Infantino. 11 of 13 committee members were removed as well.

March 2018: Introduction of Video Assistant Referees

On 3 March 2018, the IFAB wrote video assistant referees (VARs) into the Laws of the Game permanently, allowing for the use of video evidence during matches.

2018: Criticism of awarding the 2018 World Cup to Russia

FIFA's choice to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia has been widely criticized by media. It has been alleged that some FIFA inside sources insist that the Russian kickbacks of cash and gifts given to FIFA executive members were enough to secure the Russian 2018 bid weeks before the result was announced.

2018: Allegations of improper conduct in 2018 bidding

In 2018 allegations against FIFA officials have also been made to the UK Parliament by David Triesman that four long-standing FIFA executive committee members engaged in "improper and unethical" conduct in the 2018 bidding, which was won by Russia.

2018: Criticism of Panorama broadcast timing before 2018 World Cup host decision

In 2018, Prime Minister David Cameron and Andy Anson criticized the timing of the broadcast three days before FIFA decided on the host for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, because it might damage England's bid; the voters included officials accused by the program.

2018: Awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia

In 2018, Russia was awarded the World Cup amid allegations of corruption and vote-rigging.

2018: Bribery Related to the Awarding of Hosting Rights for the 2018 World Cup to Russia

In 2018, bribery was related to the awarding of hosting rights for the World Cup to Russia.

2018: Call for England to boycott the 2018 World Cup

In May 2015, Andy Burnham stated that England should boycott the 2018 World Cup against corruption in FIFA and military aggression by Russia.

2018: Blatter suggests pre-planned 2018 World Cup awards

In September 2015, Sepp Blatter suggested that the 2018 World Cup being awarded to Russia was planned before the voting.

2018: British parliamentary inquiry into England's failed 2018 bid

In early May 2011, a British parliamentary inquiry investigated why England failed to secure the 2018 finals.

2018: Criminal investigation into 2018 World Cup bids

Swiss authorities opened a criminal investigation into FIFA's operations pertaining to the 2018 World Cup bids.

2018: Debut of Current FIFA Flag

The current FIFA flag was first flown during the opening ceremony of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Moscow, Russia.

2019: Start of Financial Cycle

The year 2019 marks the start of a financial cycle that concludes in 2022 with a net positive of $1.2 billion.

February 2022: FIFA suspends Russia's participation

In February 2022, FIFA suspended Russia's participation in FIFA events due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, following a recommendation by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Russian Football Union's appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was unsuccessful.

February 2022: FIFA Suspends Russia from Competitions

On 28 February 2022, FIFA suspended Russia from all competitions due to the controversy surrounding Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

April 2022: FIFA launches FIFA+

In April 2022, FIFA launched FIFA+, an OTT service providing up to 40,000 live matches per year, including 11,000 women's matches. Archival content, including every FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women's World Cup match recorded on camera, together with original documentary content was also made available.

November 2022: FIFA Urges Players to Focus on Sports in Qatar

In November 2022, FIFA officials instructed players not to get involved in politics but to focus on sports when they were in Qatar, a few weeks after football associations and players from Denmark and Australia criticized Qatar on this matter.

2022: Criticism of awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar

FIFA's choice to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar has been widely criticized by media.

2022: Corruption Suspicions Regarding Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup Bid

In 2022, FIFA was suspected of corruption regarding the Qatar FIFA World Cup bid.

2022: FIFA Revenue and Reserves in 2022

In 2022, FIFA's revenues exceeded US$5.8 billion, concluding the 2019–2022 cycle with a net positive of $1.2 billion and cash reserves surpassing $3.9 billion, showcasing its financial strength.

2022: Awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar

In 2022, Qatar was awarded the World Cup amid allegations of corruption and vote-rigging.

2022: Al Jazeera offered $400 million to FIFA for broadcasting rights

In 2022, Qatari state-run television channel Al Jazeera secretly offered $400 million to FIFA, for broadcasting rights, just 21 days before FIFA announced that Qatar would hold the 2022 World Cup.

2022: Bribery Related to the Awarding of Hosting Rights for the 2022 World Cup to Qatar

In 2022, bribery was related to the awarding of hosting rights for the World Cup to Qatar.

2022: FIFA president did not rule out reopening the 2022 vote if corruption could be proved

In May 2011, Blatter did not rule out reopening the 2022 vote if corruption could be proved, but urged taking the matter "step by step".

2022: Blatter suggests pre-planned 2022 World Cup awards

In September 2015, Sepp Blatter suggested that the 2022 World Cup being awarded to Qatar was planned before the voting.

2022: Allegations of Qatar paying to host the World Cup

In the 2022 World Cup bid, Qatar was honored to host the World Cup. Since then it has been discovered that Qatar paid as much as $200 billion to host the World Cup. This information was discovered by the Tass news agency in Russia.

2022: Criminal investigation into 2022 World Cup bids

Swiss authorities opened a criminal investigation into FIFA's operations pertaining to the 2022 World Cup bids.

2023: FIFA+ broadcasts youth World Cups and Women's World Cup

In 2023, FIFA+ broadcast all matches of the youth World Cups in both genders, starting with the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. FIFA+ also showed the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup live in selected regions such as Japan, Brazil, Indonesia, and Thailand.

October 2024: FIFA faces allegations of unpaid player dues

In October 2024, FIFA faced allegations from players from several countries claiming the organization did not pay them agreed sums of money, with the total reaching up to £3m. According to reports, Four hundred and twenty players did not get paid as agreed with FIFA.

October 2024: Female Footballers Demand FIFA End Aramco Sponsorship

In October 2024, over 100 female footballers sent an open letter to FIFA demanding the organization end its sponsor deal with Saudi oil company Aramco, citing continuous human rights violations, women's rights abuses, and the criminalization of homosexuality in Saudi Arabia.