FIFA President Gianni Infantino unveiled "FIFA 2.0: The Vision for the Future" -- the first time that FIFA has published a roadmap for how to most effectively grow the game, enhance the football experience for fans and players and build a stronger institution. Infantino said that the work planned under the new vision demonstrates the far-reaching nature of the change underway at FIFA. As part of this work, FIFA will:
- Invest $4B over the next decade in football development through FIFA’s 211 member associations under the FIFA Forward Programme and additional funding initiatives.
- Increase total participation in football -- players, coaches, referees and fans -- from 45-60% of the global population.
- Set the goal of doubling, to 60 million, the number of female football players worldwide by '26 through the development and execution of a strategy to bring women’s football to the mainstream.
- Change the current model to take more direct control of critical business operations, including FIFA World Cup ticketing and FIFA World Cup organizing activities, and establish working groups to evaluate the process of bringing the operations in house, to better ensure optimal financial returns and customer satisfaction, as well as the highest standards of transparency and good governance (FIFA).
MAKING HIS MARK: In London, Ahmed & Atkins reported Infantino "looks set to stamp his authority" on the organization, suggesting FIFA is "close to expanding its flagship tournament" from 32 countries to 40 or 48 teams. He said that there was a "positive" feeling toward expansion but decisions "would only be taken next year on further analysis." Infantino: "Whether it will be 40 or 48 [teams] we will see in January." Other changes relate to the bidding process for future World Cups. FIFA's congress is made up of the 211 nations that would select future hosts, a move "designed to avoid bidding teams potentially winning the event" by influencing a small number of FIFA execs (
FINANCIAL TIMES, 10/13).
