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FIFA President’s Vision 2020–2023
In 2020, on the fourth anniversary of his initial election as FIFA President, Gianni Infantino announced his action plan to drive FIFA into the modern era and make the game truly global. The result was the FIFA President’s Vision 2020-2023, a blueprint for how FIFA sees the future of football. We are now halfway through this cycle.
FIFA has made huge strides towards achieving the goals of the FIFA President’s Vision 2020-2023 set two years ago by increasing global competitiveness, embracing technology and giving every talent a chance in order to make football truly global.
Making football truly global
In May, FIFA launched a widespread review into the future of football and the International Match Calendars (IMCs), led by FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger and two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup-winning coach, Jill Ellis.
The IMCs are in place until 2023 and 2024, and FIFA is listening to all views and opinions from key stakeholders, including fans, about how to make the calendar better serve the global football community.
The FIFA President’s Vision 2020-2023 aims to give every talent a chance and the best way to do that is to introduce fairer IMCs that level the playing field. At the 71ˢᵗ FIFA Congress, the majority of member associations voted to explore potential changes to the IMCs. The core aim of the FIFA President’s Vision 2020-2023 is to have 50 national teams and 50 clubs competing at the highest level of both the men’s and women’s games. FIFA is making great strides towards this goal.
Women’s football
Further enhancing the growth of the women’s game is another fundamental part of the FIFA President’s Vision 2020-2023 and, despite the issues presented by the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, this commitment has remained steadfast.
In September, FIFA celebrated the one-year anniversary of the launch of the FIFA Women’s Development Programme, which provides all 211 member associations with access to specific resources dedicated to women’s football.
FIFA is aiming to have 60 million women and girls playing football by 2026 and the FIFA Women’s Development Programme is crucial to making this happen.
In addition to the support provided via the FIFA COVID-19 Relief Plan and FIFA Forward, more than 80 dedicated women’s football projects were delivered in the first 12 months of the programme. FIFA has also worked with nearly 50 member associations around the world and provided hundreds of female players, coaches and administrators with more opportunities to play and access the game.
Advancing technologies
Harnessing technology to meet the needs of the modern game is a key element of the FIFA President’s Vision 2020-2023, and exciting advances were made in this area in 2021.
Semi-automated offside technology was trialled at the FIFA Arab Cup 2021 along with pioneering performance analytics and a new Football Language developed by FIFA, which will result in greater insights for all.
These advancements followed FIFA’s continued work to develop VAR systems suitable for all member associations, including VAR Light, which aims to create more affordable VAR systems and thus level the playing field globally.
Technical development
FIFA has embarked upon a set of comprehensive technical leadership programmes to develop stronger technical leaders at member association level, combined with the new FIFA Training Centre.
FIFA is also supporting member associations with “coach the coach” educational courses, aimed at instilling consistently high levels of instruction across all levels of the game. Part of that process has involved facilitating technical exchanges between member associations to share best practices across the world. More FIFA Regional Development Offices also opened in 2021, bringing the total number to 11, thus giving greater support to member associations on the ground in the delivery of infrastructure, competitions, development and educational projects specific to each region.
Raising standards globally
The FIFA Forward Programme, which is now in its second edition, is increasing investment in all member associations and the six confederations in order to further develop and support football across the globe so it can reach its potential in every country.
FIFA’s global report, driven by FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger, showed that everything is connected in our sport. Giving every talent a chance to develop in the best possible way requires everyone to play their part.
Over USD 2 billion of FIFA Forward funding to member associations has been approved since 2016, covering operational costs, travel and various projects, helping to drive the goals of the FIFA President’s Vision 2020-2023.
To raise standards across the world and ensure that talented players have the best possible chance to flourish, no matter what their situation or background, it is imperative that coaches and their players get the best technical support possible.
Football firsts
The first two years of the FIFA President’s Vision 2020-2023 have laid the groundwork for what is to come in the next two. In 2022, FIFA will be organising the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the first time that the largest single-sport event on the planet will be held in the Arab world.
Beyond that, there will be the biggest-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023, another groundbreaking step as FIFA continues its quest to make football truly global.