Governing Bodies
FLASHBACK: FIFA GETS FIRST NON-EUROPEAN PRESIDENT
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
There have been nine presidents since the world football governing body; FIFA was founded 115 years ago.
But on this date, 11 June 1974, Brazilian, Dr.João Havelange became the first non-European FIFA president as he was elected President by the narrowest of margins in an election that went into the second ballot.
He won 68-52 votes on a second ballot to become president. Sir Stanley Rous, the then President, vacated the position to become Honorary Lifetime President of FIFA.
To achieve his goal, Havelange, a lawyer and businessman, lobbied in 86 different countries for the presidency, often accompanied by Pele and British sports marketer, Patrick Nally.
He depended largely on Africa’s numerical strength. Havelange’s pledge was to develop the role of FIFA and extend its global reach with the aid of commercial sponsorship.
The man, who passed away four years ago at age 100, is generally credited with leading football into the modern era. During his 24 years in charge, FIFA’s seventh President transformed the body into a dynamic enterprise of considerable international standing.
But the latter end of his lifetime before he passed on at Hospital Samaritano, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, was dogged with allegations of corruption despite creating a huge financial empire for FIFA.
Despite all allegations he remained a towering figure of the 20th century sport. He was a global phenomenon while at the helm of the global football ruling body.
He was the only FIFA President to have reached the milestone age of 100 and also had the second longest tenure after that of Jules Rimet who ruled for 33 years and 112 days.
Havelange was president for 24 years 31 days. He had expected a glamourous 100th birthday. It was not to be.
The low attendance of high profile guests was contrary to the open invitation he offered in 2011 just before the award of the 2016 Olympics to his birthplace, Rio.
Then, Havelange enthusiastically remarked: “I invite you to come celebrate my 100 years in Rio in 2016”.
No thanks to his indictments following the bribery allegation that trailed his exit from office.
Even his associates in FIFA were reluctant to openly associate with him even when Brazil, his homeland hosted the FIFA Confederation Cup and World Cup in 2013 and 2014.
Despite all that, Havelange’s contributions to not just football and FIFA, but to sports generally cannot be ignored.
Most people choose to remember only the bribery allegation and forget all he did for the development of football worldwide.
When all is said and done, the late Havelange remains one of the towering figures of 20th Century sport.
Havelange’s six terms in office, spanning 24 years, witnessed the transformation of football into a global, lucrative sport. He encouraged the development of football in new markets such as Africa, Asia and the US.
As a sports journalist, I had opportunities of meeting him in Canada in 1987, Italy in 1990, Portugal in 1991, China in 1991 and France in 1998.
He never failed to impress me. A good listener whose gait may give deceptive impression of admission of your points, he would suddenly drop his views, which threw one off balance.
On my first occasion of meeting him at a press conference at Holiday Inn at St. John’s, New Found land in Canada in 1987, I marveled as he switched from English to French then to Portuguese and back to English while answering questions. Charles Ojugbana (then of NTA) and myself later took photographs with him.
In the FIFA magazine edition of April 1998, he remarked that in spite of his busy schedule as FIFA president, he personally answered all mails directed to him.
I can attest to this as he answered all my questionnaires mailed to him as a reporter at African Concord magazine in the 1980s.
At the time he took the reins in 1974, FIFA had just two competitions – the World Cup and football in the Olympics.
He expanded the competitions to eight. It was part of his development programme for the Third World countries, especially in Africa and Asia.
The FIFA U-20, U-17, Confederation Cup, Fustal and Women’s World Cup were all introduced under his tenure.
Africa’s slot in the World Cup progressively increased from one to five. He attempted to bridge the gulf in football development of Europe and South America and that of Africa and Asia.
Fifty new associations joined FIFA and he expanded the World Cup from 16 to 32 teams thus improving African countries chances of qualifying. With 207 members, FIFA grew into the world’s largest single sport federation. By way of comparison, the UN had 191 members.
He was able to get China to return to FIFA after 25 years of politically motivated absence.
In conflict resolutions among nations, he was able to bring the two Koreas – the North and South – together to play as a team in the 1991 U-20 World Cup (then called World Youth Championship) in Portugal.
“My biggest disappointment was the inability to find a peaceful, sports-based solution to the Israel and Palestine conflict,” he admitted.
He had a dream of an international match between Israel and Palestine at the UN headquarters in New York.
Under Havelange, FIFA experienced its golden age. “When I arrived (FIFA), I found an old house and $20 in the kitty,” recalled Havelange.
The General Secretary and his family were living in the house, which had just seven staff members. By 1998, FIFA had over 70 workers and a new building.
“On the day I departed 24 years later, I left property and contracts worth over $4 billion.” Under his tutelage, football became a global commodity.
Before Havelange’s tenure, teams had to pay their ways to FIFA competitions, just as delegates to congresses had to do. Under Havelange, teams participating in the World Cup had their expenses underwritten and also got paid for participating.
A commentary ran on him by New York Times in its June 9, 1998 edition described him as a strong willed person who ran FIFA with a combination of autocratic rigidity and progressive reform.
For 24 years, he built FIFA in his image to the point where world leaders had audiences with him, virtually begging for his attention. He met virtually all heads of governments during his tenure.
Such was his influence that he could swing votes to his favoured candidates. A recent example was the award of 2016 Olympic Games to his native Rio, beating former IOC, Juan Samaranch-backed Madrid and a Chicago bid backed by the then US President Barack Obama. An American president is arguably the most powerful man on Planet Earth.
Before becoming the FIFA head, he led Brazilian football in its most successful period. Havelange witnessed his first World Cup as a fan in 1950.
Following Brazil’s 2-1 loss to Uruguay, he reportedly made a firm promise: “If I become president, the trophy will come home to my country.”
Under his presidency of the CBF, Brazil won the World Cup three times in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
The Confederation of African Football has dismissed Yasin Osman Robleh, the Djiboutian official who headed its judicial bodies for the past six years, in a move aimed at restoring confidence in the organisation’s disciplinary processes.
According to reports from convergence sources, the decision was confirmed on Saturday by CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba, bringing an abrupt end to Robleh’s tenure overseeing the confederation’s disciplinary and investigative committees since 2019.
Robleh’s position reportedly came under increasing pressure following the controversy surrounding sanctions imposed after the Africa Cup of Nations Final between Morocco and Senegal. The disciplinary decisions that followed the match sparked criticism from several quarters and placed CAF’s legal framework under intense scrutiny.
In response to the situation, CAF’s Executive Committee has appointed Togolese lawyer Cedric Egai, currently the confederation’s Director of Legal Affairs, as interim head of the judicial bodies.
Egai is expected to stabilise the organisation’s legal arm while CAF works toward appointing a permanent successor to Robleh.
Disciplinary Decisions Delayed
The leadership change has already affected ongoing disciplinary processes within the confederation. CAF’s disciplinary committee reportedly held hearings last Thursday on several cases, including the high-profile encounter involving Egypt’s Al Ahly and Morocco’s AS FAR.
However, decisions on those matters have been temporarily put on hold pending the confirmation of new leadership within the judicial structure.
Sources indicate that once a permanent successor is appointed, CAF will move swiftly to conclude outstanding disciplinary rulings affecting both clubs and national teams.
Restoring Confidence
The move is widely seen as part of CAF’s effort to restore confidence in its judicial system following weeks of controversy surrounding disciplinary decisions at major competitions.
Robleh’s departure closes a significant chapter in CAF’s legal administration, while Egai’s interim appointment signals a potential shift in leadership and governance at a critical time for African football.
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Governing Bodies
Countdown Rule Introduced To Crack Down on Time-Wasting in Substitutions and Spot Kicks
Global football’s law-making body, The International Football Association Board (IFAB), has approved a landmark package of reforms aimed at protecting effective playing time, reducing time-wasting and strengthening disciplinary oversight ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The decisions were taken at IFAB’s 140th Annual General Meeting (AGM), chaired by Mike Jones, President of the Football Association of Wales, during celebrations marking the FAW’s 150th anniversary.
The reforms, which will apply from the 2026/27 season and be implemented at the 2026 World Cup and other competitions, respond to growing calls across the football community for measures that preserve match tempo and reduce deliberate disruption.
Five-Second Countdown for Throw-Ins and Goal Kicks
Building on last season’s amendment preventing goalkeepers from holding the ball for excessive periods, IFAB has extended the countdown principle to throw-ins and goal kicks.
If a referee judges that a restart is being deliberately delayed, a visible five-second countdown will begin. Failure to put the ball back into play within that period will result in possession being awarded to the opposing team. In the case of a delayed goal kick, the sanction escalates to a corner kick for the opposition.
The measure is designed to eliminate a common time-management tactic frequently deployed late in matches.
Strict Timelines for Substitutions
To further streamline match flow, substituted players must leave the field within 10 seconds of the substitution board being displayed or the referee’s signal being given.
Players who exceed that limit must still exit immediately, but their replacement will not be allowed to enter until the next stoppage after one minute of running clock time has elapsed — effectively discouraging slow exits intended to run down the clock.
Mandatory One-Minute Absence After On-Field Treatment
Under another significant change, players who receive on-field medical assessment — or whose injury prompts a stoppage — must leave the pitch and remain off for at least one minute once play resumes.
The rule aims to curb tactical injury interruptions while still safeguarding genuine medical needs.
IFAB also approved further trials to assess goalkeeper-related tactical injury delays and explore deterrent options.
VAR Protocol Expanded to Include Second Yellow Cards
In a notable development for officiating, IFAB expanded the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) protocol.
The VAR will now be permitted to review:
- Red cards resulting from a clearly incorrect second yellow card;
- Mistaken identity cases where the wrong player is cautioned or sent off;
- Clearly incorrectly awarded corner kicks, provided the review can be completed immediately without delaying the restart.
The move addresses longstanding criticism that second cautions — unlike straight red cards — were previously outside VAR review scope, despite their decisive impact on matches.
IFAB also confirmed continued trials of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) and ongoing development of FIFA-led Football Video Support (FVS).
Amendments to the Laws of the Game 2026/27
The next edition of the Laws of the Game, effective 1 July 2026 (with early adoption permitted), will introduce further clarifications and adjustments:
- Law 3: Senior ‘A’ international friendlies may now allow up to eight substitutes, expandable to eleven by mutual agreement.
- Law 4: Non-dangerous equipment will be permitted if safely covered.
- Law 5: Referee body cameras (head- or chest-mounted) may be used at competition discretion, with organisers controlling footage.
- Law 8: Clarifies that a dropped ball will be awarded to the team that would likely have retained possession.
- Laws 10 & 14: Formal incorporation of guidance on accidental “double touch” penalty incidents.
- Law 12: Where advantage is played for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity and a goal is scored, the offender will not be cautioned.
Focus on Discriminatory Behaviour and Player Protests
Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup, IFAB agreed that further consultation will be undertaken to develop tougher measures against discriminatory conduct.
The board will also examine scenarios where:
- Players leave the field collectively in protest of refereeing decisions;
- Players cover their mouths while confronting opponents — a practice viewed as undermining transparency.
A Forward-Looking Agenda
The AGM, attended by representatives from FIFA, The FA, the Scottish FA, the FA of Wales, the Irish FA and IFAB administration, signals what officials described as a decisive effort to modernise the sport.
With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, IFAB’s reforms represent one of the most comprehensive tempo-focused overhauls in recent years — an attempt to ensure that football remains faster, fairer and more resistant to manipulation of time.
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Governing Bodies
Infantino marks 10 years as FIFA President, hails reforms and global expansion of the game
Gianni Infantino has marked the 10th anniversary of his election as FIFA President by declaring that “we have brought football back to FIFA and FIFA back to football,” while thanking the organisation’s 211 member associations for their support over the past decade.
In a letter sent to the presidents of all 211 member associations, Infantino reflected on his election at the Extraordinary Congress in Zurich, Switzerland, on 26 February 2016, recalling that FIFA was facing a crisis that threatened its very existence at the time.
“By voting for me, the FIFA Congress chose to chart a new path forward built on reform, transparency and development,” he wrote. “I believe we have successfully brought football back to FIFA and FIFA back to football. And we have done so together.”
Infantino stressed that unity between FIFA and its Member Associations had been central to the organisation’s transformation.
“It is therefore with a great sense of unity that I would like to extend my deepest thanks for your work, your dedication and, of course, your unwavering support in making this possible and for your role in bringing FIFA back to football over the last 10 years,” he said.
Describing FIFA as “the glue that binds the footballing pyramid and the wider footballing ecosystem together,” Infantino underlined the importance of a strong and trusted governing body for the continued growth of the sport.
“A strong, trusted and unified FIFA is not only desirable, but also in fact necessary for our sport to continue to flourish,” he added. “Although we live in a world marked by division and conflict, football is still the great power that unites us all.”
Key achievements highlighted
In his message, the FIFA President outlined 11 major achievements since 2016, beginning with increased financial support to Member Associations through the FIFA Forward Programme. Introduced in 2016, funding to MAs has increased sevenfold, with associations empowered to determine how best to invest in football development within their territories.
He also pointed to the FIFA Talent Development Scheme, designed to ensure that every young player has the opportunity to develop regardless of financial background or geography, alongside enhanced capacity building in administration, finance, infrastructure, medical services, safeguarding and women’s leadership.
Infantino noted greater involvement of Member Associations in decision-making through FIFA Executive Summits and newly introduced Standing Committees, as well as reforms aimed at boosting transparency, including annual accounts delivered under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and clearer bidding processes for major tournaments.
On the field, the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in 2018 — now implemented in 83 Member Associations — was cited as a key step towards greater fairness. FIFA has since introduced VAR Light and Football Video Support to widen access to video technology. In 2024, all 211 MAs also unanimously backed a Global Stand Against Racism initiative.
Infantino further highlighted expanded playing opportunities across competitions. The FIFA World Cup has been expanded to 48 teams, while the FIFA Women’s World Cup grew to 32 teams in 2023 and is set to expand to 48 from 2031. More than 1,700 women’s development projects have been delivered across 204 Member Associations.
Youth competitions have also been broadened, including the expansion of the FIFA U-17 World Cup for both boys and girls and the introduction of a new festival-style FIFA U-15 Youth World Cup open to all 211 MAs.
The letter referenced relief measures during times of hardship, notably the COVID-19 Relief Plan, which made USD 1.5 billion available, emergency disaster funding via the FIFA Foundation, and a post-conflict recovery fund approved in December 2025 to support football communities affected by war.
At club level, Infantino highlighted the historic first 32-team FIFA Club World Cup in 2025, the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup planned for 2028, and the launch of annual intercontinental competitions and an expanded FIFA Club Benefits Programme.
Concluding his message, Infantino reiterated his gratitude to Member Associations for “keeping the best interests of football at heart,” expressing confidence that a united global football community would continue to drive the sport’s growth in the years ahead.
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