History of FIFA in Timeline
FIFA, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, is the international governing body for association football, beach football, and futsal. Founded in 1904 with eight national associations, it now boasts 211 members worldwide. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, FIFA oversees international competitions and operates through six regional confederations: CAF, AFC, UEFA, CONCACAF, OFC, and CONMEBOL, ensuring global governance and promotion of the sport.
May 1904: FIFA Founded to Oversee International Competition
On May 1904, FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) was founded on May 21st to oversee international competition among national associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
May 1904: Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Founded
On May 21, 1904, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in Paris. The founding members included the national associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
1906: Daniel Burley Woolfall Became FIFA President
Daniel Burley Woolfall was president from 1906 to 1918.
1906: Daniel Burley Woolfall Replaces Robert Guérin as FIFA President
In 1906, Daniel Burley Woolfall from England replaced Robert Guérin as FIFA president.
1908: FIFA Staged the Association Football Competition for the Olympics in London
In 1908, the association football competition for the Olympics in London was staged by FIFA. It was more successful than its Olympic predecessors, despite the presence of professional footballers.
1909: South Africa Joins FIFA
In 1909, South Africa became a member of FIFA.
1912: Spalding Athletic Library "Official Guide" Includes FIFA Information
The 1912 Spalding Athletic Library "Official Guide" includes information on the 1912 Olympics (scores and stories), AAFA, and FIFA.
1913: Canada and Chile Join FIFA
In 1913, Canada and Chile became members of FIFA.
1913: Royal Spanish Football Federation Creation
In 1913, the Royal Spanish Football Federation was created.
1914: United States Joins FIFA
In 1914, the United States became a member of FIFA.
1918: End of Daniel Burley Woolfall's FIFA Presidency
Daniel Burley Woolfall was president from 1906 to 1918.
1930: Inaugural FIFA World Cup
In 1930, FIFA organized and promoted the first major international football tournament, the World Cup.
1930: First World Cup Held in Montevideo, Uruguay
In 1930, the first World Cup was held in Montevideo, Uruguay.
1970: International Football Association Board Request Regarding Slow-Motion Play-Back
The 1970 meeting of the International Football Association Board "agreed to request the television authorities to refrain from any slow-motion play-back which reflected, or might reflect, adversely on any decision of the referee".
1989: Allegations of Bribes Paid by ISL to FIFA Officials (1989-1999)
Between 1989 and 1999, it was alleged that three senior FIFA officials, Nicolas Leoz, Issa Hayatou, and Ricardo Teixeira, had been paid huge bribes by ISL, which FIFA had failed to investigate. This was revealed in a Panorama exposé in November 2010.
1991: Inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup
In 1991, FIFA commenced the first Women's World Cup.
1994: Adoption of FIFA Anthem
Since the 1994 FIFA World Cup, FIFA has adopted an anthem composed by Franz Lambert. It has been re-arranged and produced by Rob May and Simon Hill.
1997: Alleged $1 Million Bribe Accepted by João Havelange
In 1997, FIFA honorary president João Havelange allegedly accepted a $1 million 'bung' from ISL, as revealed in a Panorama allegation. The IOC started inquiry proceedings into these bribery claims in June 2011.
1998: Extraordinary Congress Sessions Held Annually Since 1998
Extraordinary sessions of the FIFA Congress have been held once a year since 1998.
1999: Allegations of Bribes Paid by ISL to FIFA Officials (1989-1999)
Between 1989 and 1999, it was alleged that three senior FIFA officials, Nicolas Leoz, Issa Hayatou, and Ricardo Teixeira, had been paid huge bribes by ISL, which FIFA had failed to investigate. This was revealed in a Panorama exposé in November 2010.
2000: FIFA Club and Player of the Century Awards
In 2000, FIFA presented the FIFA Club of the Century award to Real Madrid, and the FIFA Player of the Century awards were jointly given to Diego Maradona and Pelé, recognizing their achievements in the 20th century.
May 2006: Release of "Foul! The Secret World of FIFA"
In May 2006, Andrew Jennings' book "Foul! The Secret World of FIFA: Bribes, Vote-Rigging, and Ticket Scandals" was released, detailing an alleged international cash-for-contracts scandal following the collapse of FIFA's marketing partner, International Sport and Leisure (ISL). It also alleged vote-rigging in Sepp Blatter's continued control of FIFA.
June 2006: BBC Panorama Exposé on FIFA
In June 2006, a BBC Panorama exposé by Andrew Jennings reported that Sepp Blatter was being investigated by Swiss police for his role in a secret deal to repay bribes pocketed by football officials. Lord Triesman described FIFA as an organization that "behaves like a mafia family."
2007: FIFA Ruling on Player Registration Leads to Controversy
In 2007, a FIFA ruling that a player can be registered with a maximum of three clubs and appear in official matches for a maximum of two in a year measured from 1 July to 30 June led to controversy.
2007: FIFA Mandates Anthem Use by Broadcast Partners
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 to help promote FIFA's sponsors.
2008: Sepp Blatter's Statement on Referee Errors in Football
As recently as 2008, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said: "Let it be as it is and let's leave [football] with errors. The television companies will have the right to say [the referee] was right or wrong, but still, the referee makes the decision – a man, not a machine."
November 2010: Panorama Exposé: Allegations of Bribes Paid by ISL to FIFA Officials
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. The program also alleged that Jack Warner had been involved in reselling World Cup tickets to touts.
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.
2010: Incident During 2010 FIFA World Cup Leads to Re-Examination of Goal-Line Technology
During a second-round game in the 2010 FIFA World Cup between England and Germany, a shot by Frank Lampard crossed the line but was not seen by match officials. This incident led FIFA officials to declare that they would re-examine the use of goal-line technology.
2010: Expectations of reform after bribery scandal at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
Following his re-election as FIFA president after a bribery scandal, Sepp Blatter promised to reform FIFA. Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, expressed great expectation for reform. Henry Kissinger and Johan Cruyff were being considered for roles on a newly proposed 'Solutions Committee'.
2010: Secret Bonuses Paid to Committee Members Following 2010 FIFA World Cup
Following the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, leaked documents indicated that $4.4 million in secret bonuses had been paid to the FIFA committee members.
2010: Corruption Allegations Against CONCACAF and FIFA Leadership
In 2010, Mel Brennan, a former CONCACAF official, publicly alleged corruption, nonfeasance, and malfeasance by CONCACAF and FIFA leadership, joining Andrew Jennings and others in exposing inappropriate allocations of money by CONCACAF and drawing connections between CONCACAF criminality and similar behaviors at FIFA.
2010: Use of African Music for Bumpers During 2010 FIFA World Cup
In 2010, an original piece of African music was used for bumpers during the FIFA World Cup.
May 2011: Allegations of Bribery in 2022 World Cup Vote
In May 2011, a whistle-blower claimed that FIFA executive committee members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma were paid $1.5 million to vote for Qatar in the 2022 World Cup bid. Blatter urged taking the matter "step by step" and did not rule out reopening the 2022 vote if corruption could be proved.
May 2011: British Parliamentary Inquiry into England's Failed 2018 World Cup Bid
In early May 2011, a British parliamentary inquiry into why England failed to secure the 2018 finals heard evidence that Issa Hayatou of Cameroon and Jacques Anouma of Ivory Coast were allegedly paid by Qatar. Qatar, Hayatou, and Anouma denied the allegations.
May 2011: FIFA opened investigation into officials over ethics violations related to presidential election
On 25 May 2011, FIFA announced that it had opened an investigation into Mohamed Bin Hammam, Jack Warner, Debbie Minguell, and Jason Sylvester regarding alleged ethics violations during the 2011 FIFA presidential election. Chuck Blazer alleged that Bin Hammam offered financial incentives for votes.
May 2011: Fred Lunn claimed he was given $40,000 to vote for Bin Hammam
On 30 May 2011, Fred Lunn, vice-president of the Bahamas Football Association, claimed that he was given $40,000 in cash as an incitement to vote for FIFA presidential candidate, Mohamed bin Hammam.
May 2011: The Sunday Times Agrees to Bring Whistle-Blower to FIFA
As of May 23, 2011, FIFA president Blatter stated that the British newspaper The Sunday Times had agreed to bring its whistle-blowing source to meet senior FIFA officials, who would then decide whether to order a new investigation into alleged World Cup bidding corruption.
June 2011: IOC Inquiry into João Havelange Bribery Claims
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 alleged he was given $40,000 to vote for Bin Hammam
On 11 June 2011, Louis Giskus, president of the Surinamese Football Association, alleged that he was given $40,000 in cash for "development projects" as an incentive to vote for Bin Hammam.
October 2011: Dick Pound criticized FIFA's governance and transparency
In October 2011, Dick Pound criticized FIFA, stating it had fallen short of demonstrating that it recognized the problems it faced and that it was willing to solve them transparently.
2011: Total Compensation for Management Committee in 2011
In 2011, the total compensation for the FIFA management committee of 35 people was 30 million.
July 2012: FIFA Sanctions Use of Goal-Line Technology
In early July 2012, FIFA sanctioned the use of goal-line technology, subject to rules specified by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
July 2012: FIFA appointed Michael J. Garcia and Hans-Joachim Eckert to Ethics Committee
On July 2012, following anti-corruption reforms, FIFA appointed US lawyer Michael J. Garcia as chairman of the investigative chamber and German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert as chairman of the adjudication chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee.
2013: Guilty Pleas in US Financial Misconduct Charges (2013-2015)
Between 2013 and 2015, four individuals, and two sports television rights corporations pleaded guilty to United States financial misconduct charges. The pleas of Chuck Blazer, José Hawilla, Daryan Warner, Darrell Warner, Traffic Group and Traffic Sports USA were unsealed in May 2015.
June 2014: Report of Doubled Salaries for FIFA Committee Members
In June 2014, a report indicated that members of the FIFA committee had their salaries doubled from $100,000 to $200,000 during the year. It also said leaked documents had indicated $4.4 million in secret bonuses had been paid to the committee members following the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
September 2014: Garcia delivered report on 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding
In September 2014, Michael Garcia delivered his 350-page report on the investigation of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process. The report was not made public for legal reasons.
December 2014: Garcia criticized Eckert summary and resigned as FIFA ethics investigator
In December 2014, Michael Garcia criticized Eckert's summary of his report as "materially incomplete" and resigned as FIFA ethics investigator, citing a "lack of leadership" and lost confidence in the independence of Eckert from FIFA.
2014: Dave Zirin on Corruption in FIFA Leadership
In a 2014 interview, Dave Zirin stated that corruption is endemic to FIFA leadership and suggested that the organization should be abolished. He proposed separating the monitoring of corruption from marketing and selling the sport into two separate organizational bodies.
May 2015: Arrests of FIFA Officials on Corruption Charges
In May 2015, 14 people, including nine FIFA officials, were arrested after being accused of corruption.
May 2015: Arrest of FIFA Officials in Switzerland and Allegations of Bribery
In May 2015, FIFA's top officials were arrested at a hotel in Switzerland on suspicion of receiving bribes totalling $100m. 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 and Marketing Executives 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 include wire fraud, racketeering, and money laundering.
May 2015: Unsealing of Guilty Pleas in US Financial Misconduct Charges
In May 2015, the guilty pleas of Chuck Blazer, José Hawilla, Daryan Warner, Darrell Warner, Traffic Group, and Traffic Sports USA were unsealed in United States financial misconduct charges. These pleas occurred between 2013 and 2015.
May 2015: Arrests of FIFA Officials in Corruption Investigation
On May 27, 2015, several high-ranking FIFA officials were arrested by Swiss authorities, launching a criminal investigation into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The US Department of Justice indicted nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives on charges including racketeering, wire fraud, and money laundering.
May 2015: 2015 FIFA Corruption Scandal Exposed
On May 27, 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, leading to the arrest of several high-ranking FIFA officials.
June 2015: Swiss authorities deemed Garcia report of 'little value'
In June 2015, Swiss authorities claimed Garcia's report on the 2018/2022 World Cup bidding process was of "little value".
September 2015: Blatter Suggests 2018 and 2022 World Cup Hosting Decisions Were Planned
In September 2015, Sepp Blatter suggested that the 2018 World Cup being awarded to Russia was planned before the voting, and the plan was for the 2022 World Cup to be awarded to the United States, which changed after the election ballot, with Qatar receiving the award instead.
February 2016: Gianni Infantino Elected as FIFA President
On February 26, 2016, Gianni Infantino was elected as the current president of FIFA at an extraordinary FIFA Congress session after former president Sepp Blatter was suspended pending a corruption investigation.
2016: The Best FIFA Football Awards Ceremony
Since 2016, FIFA has held The Best FIFA Football Awards, an annual ceremony to recognize individual and team achievements in international association football. Key awards include The Best FIFA Men's Player, The Best FIFA Women's Player, The Best FIFA Football Coach, and FIFA FIFPRO World 11.
May 2017: FIFA Council Decides Not to Renew Mandates of Ethics Committee Chairmen
On May 9, 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. In addition to the chairmen, 11 of 13 committee members were removed.
March 2018: IFAB Writes VARs into the Laws of the Game Permanently
On March 3, 2018, the IFAB wrote video assistant referees (VARs) into the Laws of the Game permanently.
2018: Accusations of Bribery Related to the Awarding of Hosting Rights for the 2018 World Cup to Russia
Accusations included bribery related to the awarding of hosting rights for the 2018 World Cup to Russia.
2018: Allegations of Improper Conduct in the 2018 Bidding Process
David Triesman alleged to the UK Parliament that four FIFA executive committee members—Jack Warner, Nicolás Leoz, Ricardo Teixeira and Worawi Makudi—engaged in "improper and unethical" conduct in the 2018 bidding, which was won by Russia. All six FIFA voters have denied wrongdoing.
2018: Awarding of the 2018 FIFA World Cup
In 2018, FIFA awarded the right to host the World Cup to Russia, leading to controversy and investigations into the bidding process.
2018: FIFA revised its code of ethics, removing corruption as a basis of ethical violations
In 2018, FIFA revised its code of ethics to remove corruption as one of the enumerated bases of ethical violations, retaining bribery, misappropriation of funds, and manipulation of competitions as offenses, and adding a statute of limitation clause that those offenses could not be pursued after a ten-year period.
2018: Awarding of 2018 World Cup to Russia
In 2018, FIFA's decision to award the World Cup to Russia came under scrutiny due to allegations of corruption and vote-rigging.
2018: Criticism of Panorama Broadcast Timing Before FIFA's Decision on 2018 World Cup Host
In 2018, Prime Minister David Cameron and Andy Anson criticized the timing of a Panorama broadcast three days before FIFA decided on the host for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, fearing it might damage England's bid. The voters included officials accused by the program.
2018: Allegations of bribery concerning World Cup 2018
In May 2011, allegations surfaced regarding bribery for votes related to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
2018: Blatter Suggests 2018 World Cup Hosting Decisions Were Planned
In September 2015, Sepp Blatter suggested that the 2018 World Cup being awarded to Russia was planned before the voting.
2018: British Inquiry into England's Failed 2018 World Cup Bid
In early May 2011, a British parliamentary inquiry investigated why England failed to secure the 2018 finals. A member of parliament stated that there was evidence that Issa Hayatou of Cameroon and Jacques Anouma of Ivory Coast were paid by Qatar.
2018: Criminal Investigation into 2018 and 2022 World Cup Bids
Swiss authorities opened a separate criminal investigation into FIFA's operations pertaining to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.
2018: Criticism of Awarding 2018 World Cup to Russia
The decision to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia has faced wide criticism. Allegations suggest that Russian kickbacks influenced FIFA executive members weeks before the announcement. In addition, Sepp Blatter was criticized for warning about the "evils of the media" before the vote.
2019: Start of Financial Cycle
The FIFA financial cycle that ended in 2022, began in 2019.
February 2022: FIFA Suspended Russia's Participation
In February 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a recommendation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIFA suspended Russia from participating in FIFA events. Russia's appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was unsuccessful.
April 2022: Launch of FIFA+
In April 2022, FIFA launched FIFA+, an OTT service offering up to 40,000 live matches per year, including 11,000 women's matches. The service also includes archival content such as past FIFA World Cup matches and original documentaries. Eleven Sports was responsible for populating the FIFA+ platform with live matches.
November 2022: FIFA officials warned players against political involvement during Qatar World Cup
In November 2022, FIFA officials instructed players not to engage in politics and to focus on sports while in Qatar for the World Cup, drawing criticism from football associations and players of Denmark and Australia.
2022: Accusations of Bribery Related to the Awarding of Hosting Rights for the 2022 World Cup to Qatar
Accusations included bribery related to the awarding of hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
2022: Suspicions of Corruption Regarding Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup Bid
FIFA has been suspected of corruption regarding the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup bid.
2022: FIFA Awards
In 2022 FIFA continued to present awards each year, including the Ballon d'Or (jointly presented with the France Football Association), given to the best and most popular player. The FIFA Puskás Award honors the most beautiful goal of the year, while the Golden Glove was awarded to Emiliano Martínez of Argentina at the World Cup.
2022: Australian officials criticized FIFA and questioned future World Cup bids after 2022 bid loss
In 2022, Australian Sports Minister Mark Arbib stated FIFA needed reform. Senator Nick Xenophon accused FIFA of "scamming" Australia out of A$46 million spent on the Australia 2022 FIFA World Cup bid, advocating holding off on future bids until FIFA's investigation was completed.
2022: Awarding of the 2022 FIFA World Cup
In 2022, FIFA awarded the right to host the World Cup to Qatar, leading to controversy and investigations into the bidding process.
2022: FIFA Revenues in 2022
In 2022, FIFA had revenues of over US$5.8 billion, ending the 2019–2022 cycle with a net positive of $1.2 billion, and cash reserves of over $3.9 billion.
2022: Awarding of 2022 World Cup to Qatar
In 2022, FIFA's decision to award the World Cup to Qatar faced allegations of corruption and vote-rigging.
2022: Al Jazeera offered $400 million to FIFA for broadcasting rights before Qatar World Cup announcement
In 2022, The Sunday Times reported that Al Jazeera, a Qatari state-run television channel, secretly offered $400 million to FIFA for broadcasting rights just 21 days before FIFA announced that Qatar would hold the 2022 World Cup.
2022: Qatar allegedly bought the 2022 World Cup
In 2022, after Bin Hammam and Warner were suspended, Warner questioned Blatter's conduct and claimed that Jérôme Valcke had stated via e-mail that Qatar had bought the 2022 World Cup. Valcke denied it was bribery, saying Qatar "used its financial muscle to lobby for support".
2022: Allegations of bribery concerning World Cup 2022
In May 2011, allegations surfaced regarding bribery for votes related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
2022: Potential Reopening of 2022 World Cup Vote
In May 2011, amidst allegations of bribery, 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 2022 World Cup Hosting Decisions Were Changed After Ballot
In September 2015, Sepp Blatter suggested that the 2022 World Cup would have 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.
2022: Criminal Investigation into 2018 and 2022 World Cup Bids
Swiss authorities opened a separate criminal investigation into FIFA's operations pertaining to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.
2022: Criticism of Awarding 2022 World Cup to Qatar
The choice to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar has been widely criticized by media. There have been allegations of kickbacks of cash and gifts given to FIFA executive members.
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 showcased the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup live in selected regions, including Japan, Brazil, Indonesia, and Thailand.
October 2024: Allegations Against FIFA for Unpaid Sums to Players
In October 2024, allegations arose against FIFA as players from several countries claimed the organization did not pay them agreed sums of money, totaling up to £3 million. Reports indicated that four hundred and twenty players did not receive payments as agreed with FIFA.
October 2024: Female footballers demand FIFA end sponsorship deal with Aramco due to human rights concerns
In October 2024, over 100 female footballers sent an open letter to FIFA demanding the organization end its sponsorship deal with Saudi oil company Aramco due to human rights violations, women's rights abuses, and criminalization of homosexuality in Saudi Arabia.
May 2025: FIFA+ Competition Coverage
As of May 2025, FIFA+ covers various competitions.
Mentioned in this timeline
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