Highlights

The globe came together as one to enjoy the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, with more than five billion people watching around the world, 3.4 million attending matches and one million visiting. The 29-day tournament proved to be like no other, with Lionel Messi achieving his final footballing dream: lifting the FIFA World Cup Trophy for his beloved Argentina.

With FIFA Forward 3.0 confirmed to launch in January 2023, the previous iteration of FIFA’s global football development mechanism completed its second cycle with countless examples of investment in 2022, taking the total amount reinvested back into football through the programme to USD 2.3 billion.

Following the interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 was the year when football truly was able to return to normal – and the delayed FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™ was played in India. In addition, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™ was staged in Costa Rica, giving young women from every corner of the world the opportunity to shine on the global stage once again.

The delivery of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Sustainability Strategy, comprehensive anti-discrimination training and an awareness programme, as well as continuously working to develop safeguarding policies and procedures across the global game, were just some of FIFA’s key social responsibility achievements in 2022.

FIFA launched an innovative FIFA Talent Development Scheme, offering bespoke assistance to member associations to help them achieve their full potential and continuing the measures taken to reduce the disparity in the level of football between different regions of the world.

As it reaches its final year, enormous strides have been taken towards achieving each of the 11 goals of The Vision 2020-2023. The vision was announced by FIFA President Gianni Infantino in 2020, on the fourth anniversary of his having taken office.