FIFA president Gianni Infantino gives a speech during the 36th AFC Annual Congress in Vancouver on Tuesday.Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters
The footballing world meets in Vancouver on Thursday, with 211 member associations invited to the 76th FIFA Congress.
Held since 1904, the FIFA Congress traditionally takes place in the World Cup host country the year of the tournament. Canada won out over co-hosts Mexico and the U.S.
The only other time the Congress has been held in Canada was in 1976 in Montreal, site of the Summer Olympics, when João Havelange was FIFA president.
For Victor Montagliani, who doubles as CONCACAF president and FIFA vice-president, this Congress is special.
Not only does the Vancouver native get to sleep in his own bed, he can show off his city ahead of this summer’s World Cup.
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“It’s a great feeling,” he said in an interview. “Obviously I’ve been to many Congresses over the years and they’re always great events when 211 nations come together … but to have it in your backyard. The Vancouver weather has also co-operated. You know what this city is like when it’s sunny. It’s like the cherry on top of the cake.”
Not everyone is enjoying the West Coast sunshine, however.
Iran, apparently, will miss the Congress. Iranian state media says Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj and two other Iranian officials were denied entry to Canada.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino, meanwhile, made headlines with reports that a request for a police escort while in Vancouver had been denied. The Vancouver Police Department said such formal motorcades where traffic is stopped “are reserved for heads of state.”
CEO of Canadian Soccer Business, James Johnson, speaks during an event ahead of FIFA's 76th congress in Vancouver, on Wednesday.Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters
A FIFA spokesperson said the request was made by local tournament organizers, and not from the world governing body.
Just how much news will come out of the Congress itself remains to be seen.
A slew of announcements, involving both on-field and off-field issues, have already been made this week via the FIFA Council, a powerful 37-person body that includes Infantino, eight vice-presidents including Montagliani and 28 elected members.
And FIFA has elected to push back deciding the hosts of the 2031 and ’35 Women’s World Cups, both of which were on the original Congress docket.
The U.S. Soccer Federation, in conjunction with fellow CONCACAF members Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica, is looking to host the 2031 tournament.
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England’s Football Association, the Irish Football Association, the Scottish Football Association and the Football Association of Wales are interested in the 2035 event.
Montagliani says the Congress agenda, while mostly routine, is still important with financial and other reports presented.
But with Infantino scheduled to speak and an open “other business” section of the agenda, the Congress could still make news at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
It has been a busy week already for the world governing body.
Senior vice-president of the FIFA Council, Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and FIFA council members Yasser Al Misehal and FIFA president Gianni Infantino pose during the 36th AFC Annual Congress on Tuesday in Vancouver.Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters
In the face of complaints from some countries over the cost of taking part in this year’s expanded 48-team tournament spread over three countries, FIFA announced an increase in prize money.
Each competing team will now get US$2.5-million, up from US$1.5-million, to help prepare for the tournament. And the minimum prize money, for sides failing to survive the opening group stage, has been upped to US$10-million from US$9-million.
Additional subsidies, totalling more than US$18-million, will be provided to help teams with their delegation costs and ticket allocations.
The changes mean FIFA will be dividing a purse of US$871-million among the 48 teams, up 15 per cent from the original budget.
FIFA has also tweaked the rules involving yellow cards at the World Cup given the expanded field and format (with an extra knockout round). Single yellow cards will be cancelled after the group stage and then again after the quarter-finals.
The FIFA Council approved several other changes, some arising from a special meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) held in Vancouver.
Any player “covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent” may now face a red card. The ruling follows a high-profile case involving Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior in a UEFA Champions League game in February.
Players covering their mouths during verbal confrontations at World Cup will receive red cards
Prestianni was seen covering his mouth with his shirt repeatedly before making comments that Vinicius and nearby teammates interpreted as a racial slur.
The Argentine, who later said he had used homophobic language, was eventually handed a six-match ban for homophobic conduct – with three of the matches suspended over a two-year period.
The Council also approved a law change allowing a referee to issue a red card to any player who leaves the field of play in protest at a referee’s decision.
This new rule also applies to any team official who incites players to leave the field of play. And a team that causes a match to be abandoned will forfeit the match.
The rule follows the controversial Africa Cup of Nations final in January that saw Senegal leave the field after a late penalty decision. Morocco’s Brahim Díaz missed the penalty after a lengthy delay, with Senegal eventually returning and winning 1-0 in extra time.
The Confederation of African Football subsequently stripped Senegal of the title, a decision under appeal.
The Council also approved an amendment to FIFA’s governance regulations that allows Afghan female players – including members of the FIFA-funded and supported Afghan Women United squad – to represent their country in official international matches as part of FIFA competitions.
Afghanistan has not played a competitive international match since December, 2018, with the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 prompting a ban on women’s sports that forced many players to seek asylum overseas.
Afghan Women United is a FIFA-supported team providing structured playing opportunities for Afghan women footballers living outside the country.
Last year’s Congress, which coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Paraguayan Football Association’s affiliation to FIFA, was held in Asuncion. The setting was timely ahead of South America staging the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil and FIFA World Cup centenary matches in 2030 (in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay).