Last modified: 2004-11-20 by
Keywords: fédération internationale de football association | international federation of football associations | fifa | football | international sports organization | sport | soccer | ball | world cup |
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![[The flag of FIFA.]](../images/i/int@fifa.gif)
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in Paris on 21 May 1904, by the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlètiques (USFSA), the Union Belge des Sociétés de Sports (UBSSA), the Dansk Boldspil Union (DBU), the Nederlandsche Voetbal Bond (NVB), the Madrid Football Club, the Svenska Bollspells Förbundet (SBF), and the Association Suisse de Football (ASF).
One of its main goals, beside the standarisation of the "Laws of the Game", has always been the organization of international competition, and a way to accomplish this was through the organization of the Olympic Soccer tournament at the London Olympic Games of 1908. Since then the FIFA has, with the exception of the Games of 1932, organized Soccer tournaments for all Olympic Games.
The Great War caused as set-back for the ideal of uniting nations through sport, but after the war the FIFA started to grow quickly. In 1921 only 30 members were left, while by 1954 the count had risen to 85 members. In 1930, though suffering under the world-wide depression, the FIFA organized its first World Championship, which took place in Uruguay.
Nowadays, as per mid-2000, the FIFA has 204 members. It has organized 16 world-championships, and it forms the international organisation for approximately two hundred million active players.
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The image of the flag of the FIFA shows it to be blue, with on it two footballs, their height about a third of the flag's height, drawn in white, side by side, the dexter slightly obscuring the sinister. Through the colouring of their surfaces, the balls together form a map of the world in shades of blue, yellow and brown, with Africa dexter and America sinister. Below the balls are the letters FIFA in white, approximately a fifth of the flag in height. Below this is the text "For the Good of the Game" in white, in a pseudo hand-written script, approximately one eighth of the flag in height.
The current flag was most likely adopted during 1998.
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Circular no. 610, which was sent to the FIFA member national associations on 24 March, is a reminder as to the criteria for flying flags at international matches.
- For matches involving A-category national teams, the FIFA flag, the flag of the country of team A and team B are raised as well as that of the country, region or city in which the match is being played.
- For international matches organised by the confederations, whether involving national or club teams, the flag of the relevant confederation is also flown.
- The representatives of FIFA, the referee and assistant referees are identified as such by the FIFA flag. The national flags of their respective countries are consequently not raised.
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![[FIFA: old flag.]](../images/i/i@fifa_o.gif)
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán
The image of the previous flag of the FIFA shows it to have been blue, with on it two footballs, their height about half of the flags height, drawn in white with mostly black details, side by side, the dexter slightly obscuring the sinister. Through the pattern on their surfaces the balls together form a map of the world, with Africa dexter and America sinister. Below the balls are the letters FIFA in yellow, with a white fringe, approximately a seventh of the flag in height.
The last reported use of this flag was during the 1998 World Championship in France. It's currently unknown when this flag was adopted, and whether it was the first flag used by the FIFA.
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![[The Centenial flag of FIFA.]](../images/i/i@fifac1.gif)
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, October 13, 2004.
![[The Centenial emblem of FIFA.]](../images/i/i@fifac).gif)
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, October 13, 2004.
![[The Centenial flag of FIFA.]](../images/i/i@fifac2.gif)
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, October 13, 2004.
Currently FIFA counts up 205 national football associations affiliated, the last one was New Caledonia, which was admited in 2004, during the FIFA Centenial celebrations. Thus the FIFA is the world's thrith biggest sporting organization (by members) just after the International Volley-Ball Federation (218 members) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) which has in turn 210 members.
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A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z |
Codes from FIFA Football Association (Country) ABR. MEMBERSHIP FOUNDED CONFEDERATION ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFGHANISTAN AFG 1948 1933 AFC ALBANIA ALB 1932 1930 UEFA ALGERIA ALG 1963 1962 CAF AMERICAN SAMOA ASA 1998 1984 OFC ANDORRA AND 1996 1994 UEFA ANGOLA ANG 1980 1979 CAF ANGUILLA AIA 1996 1990 CONCACAF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA ATG 1970 1928 CONCACAF ARGENTINA ARG 1912 1893 CONMEBOL ARMENIA ARM 1992 1992 UEFA ARUBA ARU 1988 1932 CONCACAF AUSTRALIA AUS 1963 1961 OFC AUSTRIA AUT 1907 1904 UEFA AZERBAIJAN AZE 1994 1992 UEFA BAHAMAS BAH 1968 1967 CONCACAF BAHRAIN BHR 1966 1957 AFC BANGLADESH BGD 1974 1972 AFC BARBADOS BRB 1968 1910 CONCACAF BELARUS BLR 1992 1989 UEFA BELGIUM BEL 1904 1895 UEFA BELIZE BLZ 1986 1980 CONCACAF BENIN BEN 1962 1962 CAF BERMUDA BER 1962 1928 CONCACAF BHUTAN BHU 2000 1983 AFC BOLIVIA BOL 1926 1925 CONMEBOL BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA BIH 1996 1992 UEFA BOTSWANA BOT 1976 1970 CAF BRAZIL BRA 1923 1914 CONMEBOL BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS VGB 1996 1974 CONCACAF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM BRU 1969 1959 AFC BULGARIA BUL 1924 1923 UEFA BURKINA FASO BFA 1964 1960 CAF BURUNDI BDI 1972 1948 CAF CAMBODIA CAM 1953 1933 AFC CAMEROON CMR 1962 1959 CAF CANADA CAN 1912 1912 CONCACAF CAPE VERDE CPV 1986 1982 CAF CAYMAN ISLANDS CAY 1992 1966 CONCACAF CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC CTA 1963 1961 CAF CHAD TCH 1988 1962 CAF CHILE CHI 1912 1895 CONMEBOL CHINESE TAIPEI TPE 1954 1924 AFC COLOMBIA COL 1936 1924 CONMEBOL CONGO COG 1962 1962 CAF CONGO DR COD 1962 1919 CAF COOK ISLANDS COK 1994 1971 OFC COSTA RICA CRC 1927 1921 CONCACAF COTE D'IVOIRE CIV 1960 1960 CAF CROATIA CRO 1941/92 1912 UEFA CUBA CUB 1932 1924 CONCACAF CYPRUS CYP 1948 1934 UEFA CZECH REPUBLIC CZE 1907/94 1901 UEFA DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA PRK 1958 1945 AFC DENMARK DEN 1904 1889 UEFA DJIBOUTI DJI 1994 1979 CAF DOMINICA DMA 1994 1970 CONCACAF DOMINICAN REPUBLIC DOM 1958 1953 CONCACAF ECUADOR ECU 1926 1925 CONMEBOL EGYPT EGY 1923 1921 CAF EL SALVADOR SLV 1938 1935 CONCACAF ENGLAND ENG 1905 1863 UEFA EQUATORIAL GUINEA EQG 1986 1960 CAF ERITREA ERI 1998 1996 CAF ESTONIA EST 1923/92 1921 UEFA ETHIOPIA ETH 1953 1943 CAF FAROE ISLANDS FRO 1988 1979 UEFA FIJI FIJ 1963 1938 OFC FINLAND FIN 1908 1907 UEFA FRANCE FRA 1904 1919 UEFA FRENCH POLYNESIA See TAHITI GABON GAB 1963 1962 CAF GAMBIA GAM 1966 1952 CAF GEORGIA GEO 1992 1990 uEFA GERMANY GER 1904 1900 UEFA GHANA GHA 1958 1957 CAF GREECE GRE 1927 1926 UEFA GRENADA GRN 1976 1924 CONCACAF GUAM GUM 1996 1975 OFC GUATEMALA GUA 1946 1919 CONCACAF GUINEA GUI 1960 1960 CAF GUINEA-BISSAU GNB 1986 1974 CAF GUYANA GUY 1968 1902 CONCACAF HAITI HAI 1933 1904 CONCACAF HONDURAS HON 1951 1951 CONCACAF HONG KONG, CHINA HKG 1954 1914 AFC HUNGARY HUN 1906 1901 UEFA ICELAND ISL 1947 1947 UEFC INDIA IND 1948 1937 AFC INDONESIA IDN 1952 1930 AFC IRAQ IRQ 1950 1948 AFC ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN IRN 1945 1920 AFC ISRAEL ISR 1948 1928/48 UEFA ITALY ITA 1905 1898 UEFA JAMAICA JAM 1962 1910 CONCACAF JAPAN JPN 1929 1921 AFC JORDAN JOR 1958 1949 AFC KAZAKHSTAN KAZ 1994 1914 UEFA KENYA KEN 1960 1960 CAF KOREA KOR 1948 1928 AFC KUWAIT KUW 1962 1952 AFC KYRGYZSTAN KGZ 1994 1992 AFC LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC LAO 1952 1951 AFC LATVIA LAT 1992/92 1921 UEFA LEBANON LIB 1935 1933 AFC LESOTHO LES 1964 1932 CAF LIBERIA LBR 1962 1936 CAF LIBYAN ARAB JAMAHIRIYA LBY 1963 1962 CAF LIECHTENSTEIN LIE 1974 1934 UEFA LITHUANIA LTU 1923/92 1922 UEFA LUXEMBOURG LUX 1910 1908 UEFA MACAU MAC 1976 1939 AFC THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA MKD 1994 1908 UEFA MADAGASCAR MAD 1962 1961 CAF MALAWI MWI 1967 1966 CAF MALAYSIA MAS 1956 1933 AFC MALDIVES MDV 1986 1982 AFC MALI MLI 1962 1960 CAF MALTA MLT 1959 1900 UEFA MAURITANIA MTN 1964 1961 CAF MAURITIUS MRI 1962 1952 CAF MEXICO MEX 1929 1927 CONCACAF REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA MDA 1994 1990 UEFA MONGOLIA MGL 1998 1959 AFC MONTSERRAT MSR 1996 1994 CONCACAF MOROCCO MAR 1956 1955 CAF MOZAMBIQUE MOZ 1980 1975 CAF MYANMAR MYA 1957 1947 AFC NAMIBIA NAM 1992 1990 CAF NEPAL NEP 1970 1951 AFC NETHERLANDS NED 1904 1889 UEFA NETHERLANDS ANTILLES ANT 1932 1921 CONCACAF NEW CALEDONIA NCL 2004 1928 OFC NEW ZEALAND NZL 1948 1891 OFC NICARAGUA NCA 1950 1931 CONCACAF NIGER NIG 1967 1967 CAF NIGERIA NGA 1959 1945 CAF NORTHERN IRELAND NIR 1911 1880 UEFA NORWAY NOR 1908 1902 UEFA OMAN OMA 1980 1978 AFC PAKISTAN PAK 1948 1948 AFC PALESTINE PAL 1998 1928/62 AFC PANAMA PAN 1938 1937 CONCACAF PAPUA NEW GUINEA PNG 1963 1962 OFC PARAGUAY PAR 1921 1906 CONMEBOL PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA CHN 1931 1924 AFC PERU PER 1924 1922 CONMEBOL PHILIPPINES PHI 1928 1907 AFC POLAND POL 1923 1919 UEFA PORTUGAL POR 1923 1914 UEFA PUERTO RICO PUR 1960 1940 CONCACAF QATAR QAT 1970 1960 AFC REPUBLIC OF IRELAND IRL 1923 1921 UEFA ROMANIA ROM 1922 1909 UEFA RUSSIAN FEDERATION RUS 1912/92 1912 UEFA RWANDA RWA 1976 1972 CAF SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS KNA 1992 1932 CONCACAF SAINT LUCIA LCA 1988 1979 CONCACAF SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES VIN 1988 1979 CONCACAF SAMOA SAM 1986 1968 OFC SAN MARINO SMR 1988 1931 UEFA SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE STP 1986 1975 CAF SAUDI ARABIA KSA 1959 1959 AFC SCOTLAND SCO 1910 1873 UEFA SENEGAL SEN 1962 1960 CAF SERBIA AND MOTENEGRO SCG 1919 1919 UEFA SEYCHELLES SEY 1986 1979 CAF SIERRA LEONE SLE 1967 1967 CAF SINGAPORE SIN 1952 1892 AFC SLOVAKIA (Slovak Republic) SVK 1907/94 1993 UEFA SLOVENIA SVN 1992 1920 UEFA SOLOMON ISLANDS SOL 1988 1978 OFC SOMALIA SOM 1960 1951 CAF SOUTH AFRICA RSA 1992 1991 CAF SPAIN ESP 1904 1913 UEFA SRI LANKA SRI 1950 1939 AFC SUDAN SUD 1948 1936 CAF SURINAME SUR 1929 1920 CONCACAF SWAZILAND SWZ 1978 1968 CAF SWEDEN SWE 1904 1904 UEFA SWITZERLAND SUI 1904 1895 UEFA SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC SYR 1937 1936 AFC TAHITI TAH 1990 1989 OFC TAIWAN, REPUBLIC OF CHINA SEE: CHINESE TAIPEI TAJIKISTAN TJK 1994 1936 AFC TANZANIA TAN 1964 1930 CAF THAILAND THA 1925 1916 AFC TOGO TOG 1962 1960 CAF TONGA TGA 1994 1965 OFC TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO TRI 1963 1908 CONCACAF TUNISIA TUN 1960 1956 CAF TURKEY TUR 1923 1923 UEFA TURKMENISTAN TKM 1994 1992 AFC TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS TCA 1998 1996 CONCACAF UGANDA UGA 1959 1924 CAF UKRAINE UKR 1992 1991 UEFA UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UAE 1972 1971 AFC UNITED STATES OF AMERICA USA 1914 1913 CONCACAF UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS VIR 1998 1992 CONCACAF URUGUAY URU 1923 1900 CONMEBOL UZBEKISTAN UZB 1994 1946 AFC VANUATU VAN 1988 1934 OFC VENEZUELA VEN 1952 1926 CONMEBOL VIET NAM VIE 1964 1962 AFC WALES WAL 1910 1876 UEFA YEMEN YEM 1980 1962 AFC ZAMBIA ZAM 1964 1929 CAF ZIMBABWE ZIM 1965 1965 CAF
Football Association (Country) ABR. MEMBERSHIP FOUNDED CONFEDERATION (ZONE) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARAB REPUBLIC OF YEMEN (NORTH YEMEN) ARY 1967 ? AFC BOHEMIA BOH 1908 1907 EUROPE COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES CIS ? ? UEFA CZECHOSLOVAKIA CZE 1923 ? UEFA FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY RFG 1904 UEFA GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC DDR ? ? UEFA Federal Republic of Germany. DUTCH EAST INDIES ? ? ? ASIA PEO. DEM. REP. OF YEMEN (SOUTH YEMEN) DYE 1967 ? AFC REPRESENTATION OF CZECHS AND SLOVAKS RCS 1993 1993 UEFA REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (SOUTH VIETNAM) ? 1952 ? AFC SAARLAND ? 1948 ? EUROPE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS (USSR) URS 1946 ? UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC UAR 1958 ? AFRICA YUGOSLAVIA YUG 1919 UEFA
COUNTRY ZONE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COMOROS AFRICA KIRIBATI OCEANIA FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA OCEANIA HOLY SEE (VATICAN STATE) EUROPE MARSHAL ISLANDS OCEANIA MONACO EUROPE NAURU OCEANIA PALAU OCEANIA TIMOR LESTE ASIA TUVALU OCEANIA UNITED KINGDOM OF THE GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND EUROPE