Soccer already has a global governing body, FIFA. The real debate is whether the current structure is transparent, accountable and balanced between the many interests in the game.
The current structure
- FIFA, founded in Paris in 1904 and now based in Zurich, organizes the World Cup and sets global regulations. It has 211 member associations.
- Six confederations govern regional competitions: UEFA (Europe), CONMEBOL (South America), CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean), CAF (Africa), AFC (Asia) and OFC (Oceania).
- National associations run national teams and domestic competitions.
- The IFAB writes the Laws of the Game. It includes FIFA and the football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne hears appeals in many disputes.
The 2015 corruption scandal
In 2015, US authorities charged a number of football officials and sports marketing executives with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering related to bribes for media and marketing rights. Several officials were arrested in Zurich. Sepp Blatter, FIFA president since 1998, announced his resignation and was later banned by FIFA’s ethics committee.
Reforms
FIFA introduced reforms in 2016, including term limits for the president and senior officials, a separation between political and management functions, and stronger compliance and ethics procedures. Critics argue that problems remain, pointing to the awarding of tournaments and the concentration of power.
The impact of corruption
Corruption diverts money from development, undermines trust in decisions such as who hosts tournaments, and weakens the credibility of the sport. Match-fixing, often linked to illegal betting, threatens the integrity of competitions at lower levels where players are poorly paid.
Ideas for better governance
Proposals include more independent directors, a stronger voice for players and fans, transparent bidding for tournaments, published financial accounts and independent regulators at national level, such as the regulator England created for its top professional clubs.
Governance decisions affect formats and finances; see the World Cup format debate. Ethical issues are also covered in fighting racism in soccer.
