What does FIFA stand for?
FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association — French for "International Federation of Association Football." It's soccer's world governing body, founded in Paris in 1904 and based in Zurich, Switzerland. FIFA runs the World Cup and oversees 211 national member associations across six continental confederations.
- 1FIFA is short for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French)[1]
- 2It was founded on May 21, 1904 in Paris, France[1]
- 3FIFA's headquarters has been in Zurich, Switzerland since 1932[1]
- 4It has 211 member associations — more than the United Nations has member states[1]
- 5FIFA organizes the World Cup and works through six regional confederations (UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, CAF, AFC, OFC)[2]
The name is French because FIFA was founded in Paris, by seven European football associations, in 1904.
What do the letters mean?
FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association — "International Federation of Association Football." "Association football" is the formal name for the game Americans call soccer.
What does FIFA actually do?
It's soccer's world governing body. Its 211 member associations are grouped into six confederations: UEFA (Europe), CONMEBOL (South America), CONCACAF (North/Central America and the Caribbean), CAF (Africa), AFC (Asia and Australia) and OFC (Oceania). The USA, Canada and Mexico sit under CONCACAF.
Where is it based?
FIFA's head office is in Zurich, Switzerland. Beyond the World Cup, it sets transfer rules, runs youth and women's tournaments, and distributes money to develop the game.
FIFA is roughly the global equivalent of a league office like the NFL or NBA head office — it runs the marquee event, sells the broadcast rights, and writes much of the rulebook. The big difference: FIFA governs national teams worldwide rather than a fixed set of franchises, so its "league" is every country on Earth, organized through six regional offices.
- FIFA — About FIFA: organisation, history and member associations(accessed 2026-06-13)
- Britannica — FIFA international soccer organization(accessed 2026-06-13)