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Fédération Internationale de Football Association

FIFA

Last modified: 2003-08-09 by juan manuel gabino villascán
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[The flag of FIFA.]
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán


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Fédération Internationale de Football Association

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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Current FIFA flag

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.

{1, 2}


Use of flags at international matches

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.

{3}


Previous FIFA flag

[FIFA: old flag.]
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.

{1, 2}


FIFA national football association members

Currently FIFA counts up 204 national football associations affiliated being the world's second biggest sporting organization (by members) just after International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) which in turn has 210 members.
{1.}

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Codes from FIFA 

Football Association (Country)                  ABR.	MEMBERSHIP   FOUNDED   CONFEDERATION
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFGHANISTAN                                     AFG				AFC
ALBANIA                                         ALB				UEFA
ALGERIA                                         ALG				CAF
AMERICAN SAMOA                                  ASA				OFC
ANDORRA                                         AND				UEFA
ANGOLA                                          ANG				CAF
ANGUILLA                                        AIA				CONFUT
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA                             ATG				CONFUT
ARGENTINA                                       ARG				CONMEBOL
ARMENIA                                         ARM				UEFA
ARUBA                                           ARU				CONFUT
AUSTRALIA                                       AUS				OFC
AUSTRIA                                         AUT				UEFA
AZERBAIJAN                                      AZE				UEFA
BAHAMAS                                         BAH				CONFUT
BAHRAIN                                         BHR				AFC
BANGLADESH                                      BGD				AFC
BARBADOS                                        BRB				CONFUT
BELARUS                                         BLR				UEFA
BELGIUM                                         BEL				UEFA
BELIZE                                          BLZ				CONFUT
BENIN                                           BEN				CAF
BERMUDA                                         BER				CONFUT
BHUTAN	                                        BHU				AFC
BOLIVIA                                         BOL				CONMEBOL
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA                          BIH				UEFA
BOTSWANA                                        BOT				CAF
BRAZIL                                          BRA				CONMEBOL
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS                          VGB				CONFUT
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM                               BRU				AFC
BULGARIA                                        BUL				UEFA
BURKINA FASO                                    BFA				CAF
BURUNDI                                         BDI				CAF
CAMBODIA                                        CAM				AFC
CAMEROON                                        CMR				CAF
CANADA                                          CAN				CONFUT
CAPE VERDE                                      CPV				CAF
CAYMAN ISLANDS                                  CAY				CONFUT
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC                        CTA				CAF
CHAD                                            TCH				CAF			
CHILE                                           CHI				CONMEBOL
CHINA                                           CHN				AFC
CHINESE TAIPEI                                  TPE				AFC
COLOMBIA                                        COL				CONMEBOL
CONGO                                           COG				CAF
CONGO, THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE           COD				CAF
COOK ISLANDS                                    COK				OFC
COSTA RICA                                      CRC				CONFUT
COTE D'IVOIRE                                   CIV				CAF
CROATIA                                         CRO				UEFA
CUBA                                            CUB				CONFUT
CYPRUS                                          CYP				UEFA
CZECH REPUBLIC                                  CZE				UEFA
DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA           PRK				AFC
DENMARK                                         DEN				UEFA
DJIBOUTI                                        DJI				CAF
DOMINICA                                        DMA				CONFUT
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC                              DOM				CONFUT
ECUADOR                                         ECU				CONMEBOL
EGYPT                                           EGY				CAF
EL SALVADOR                                     SLV				CONFUT
ENGLAND                                         ENG				UEFA
EQUATORIAL GUINEA                               EQG				CAF
ERITREA                                         ERI				CAF
ESTONIA                                         EST				UEFA
ETHIOPIA                                        ETH				CAF
FAROE ISLANDS                                   FRO				UEFA
FIJI                                            FIJ				OFC
FINLAND                                         FIN				UEFA
FRANCE                                          FRA				UEFA
FRENCH POLYNESIA                                See TAHITI			
GABON                                           GAB				CAF
GAMBIA                                          GAM				CAF
GEORGIA                                         GEO				UEFA
GERMANY                                         GER				UEFA
GHANA                                           GHA				CAF
GREECE                                          GRE				UEFA
GRENADA                                         GRN				CONFUT
GUAM                                            GUM				OFC
GUATEMALA                                       GUA				CONFUT
GUINEA                                          GUI				CAF
GUINEA-BISSAU                                   GNB				CAF
GUYANA                                          GUY				CONFUT
HAITI                                           HAI				CONFUT
HONDURAS                                        HON				CONFUT
HONG KONG, CHINA                                HKG				AFC
HUNGARY                                         HUN				UEFA
ICELAND                                         ISL				UEFC
INDIA                                           IND				AFC
INDONESIA                                       IDN				AFC
IRAQ                                            IRQ				AFC
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN                        IRN				AFC
ISRAEL                                          ISR				UEFA
ITALY                                           ITA				UEFA
JAMAICA                                         JAM				CONFUT
JAPAN                                           JPN				AFC
JORDAN                                          JOR				AFC
KAZAKHSTAN                                      KAZ				UEFA
KENYA                                           KEN				CAF
KOREA                                           KOR				AFC
KUWAIT                                          KUW				AFC
KYRGYZSTAN                                      KGZ				AFC
LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC                LAO				AFC
LATVIA                                          LAT				UEFA
LEBANON                                         LIB				AFC
LESOTHO                                         LES				CAF
LIBERIA                                         LBR				CAF
LIBYAN ARAB JAMAHIRIYA                          LBY				CAF
LIECHTENSTEIN                                   LIE				UEFA
LITHUANIA                                       LTU				UEFA
LUXEMBOURG                                      LUX				UEFA
MACAU                                           MAC				AFC
MACEDONIA, THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF      MKD				UEFA
MADAGASCAR                                      MAD				CAF
MALAWI                                          MWI				CAF
MALAYSIA                                        MAS				AFC
MALDIVES                                        MDV				AFC
MALI                                            MLI				CAF
MALTA                                           MLT				UEFA
MAURITANIA                                      MTN				CAF
MAURITIUS                                       MRI				CAF
MEXICO                                          MEX				CONFUT
MOLDOVA, REPUBLIC OF                            MDA				UEFA
MONGOLIA                                        MGL				AFC
MONTSERRAT                                      MSR				CONFUT
MOROCCO                                         MAR				CAF
MOZAMBIQUE                                      MOZ				CAF
MYANMAR                                         MYA				AFC
NAMIBIA                                         NAM				CAF
NEPAL                                           NEP				AFC
NETHERLANDS                                     NED				UEFA
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES                            ANT				CONFUT
NEW ZEALAND                                     NZL				OFC
NICARAGUA                                       NCA				CONFUT
NIGER                                           NIG				CAF
NIGERIA                                         NGA				CAF
NORTHERN IRELAND                                NIR				UEFA
NORWAY                                          NOR				UEFA
OMAN                                            OMA				AFC
PAKISTAN                                        PAK				AFC
PALESTINE                                       PAL				AFC
PANAMA                                          PAN				CONFUT
PAPUA NEW GUINEA                                PNG				OFC
PARAGUAY                                        PAR				CONMEBOL
PERU                                            PER				CONMEBOL
PHILIPPINES                                     PHI				AFC
POLAND                                          POL				UEFA
PORTUGAL                                        POR				UEFA
PUERTO RICO                                     PUR				CONFUT
QATAR                                           QAT     			AFC
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND                             IRL				UEFA
ROMANIA                                         ROM				UEFA
RUSSIAN FEDERATION                              RUS				UEFA
RWANDA                                          RWA				CAF
SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS                           KNA				CONFUT
SAINT LUCIA                                     LCA				CONFUT
SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES                VIN				CONFUT
SAMOA                                           SAM				OFC
SAN MARINO                                      SMR				UEFA
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE                           STP				CAF
SAUDI ARABIA                                    KSA				AFC
SCOTLAND                                        SCO				UEFA
SENEGAL                                         SEN				CAF
SERBIA AND MOTENEGRO (Formerly Yugoslavia)      SCG				UEFA
SEYCHELLES                                      SEY				CAF
SIERRA LEONE                                    SLE				CAF
SINGAPORE                                       SIN				AFC
SLOVAKIA (Slovak Republic)                      SVK				UEFA
SLOVENIA                                        SVN				UEFA
SOLOMON ISLANDS                                 SOL				OFC
SOMALIA                                         SOM				CAF
SOUTH AFRICA                                    RSA				CAF
SPAIN                                           ESP				UEFA
SRI LANKA                                       SRI				AFC
SUDAN                                           SUD				CAF
SURINAME                                        SUR				CONFUT
SWAZILAND                                       SWZ				CAF
SWEDEN                                          SWE				UEFA
SWITZERLAND                                     SUI				UEFA
SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC                            SYR				AFC
TAHITI                                          TAH				OFC
TAIWAN, REPUBLIC OF CHINA                       SEE: CHINESE TAIPEI
TAJIKISTAN                                      TJK				AFC
THAILAND                                        THA				AFC
TOGO                                            TOG				CAF
TONGA                                           TGA				OFC
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO                             TRI				CONFUT
TUNISIA                                         TUN				CAF
TURKEY                                          TUR				UEFA
TURKMENISTAN                                    TKM				AFC
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS                        TCA				CONFUT
UGANDA                                          UGA				CAF
UKRAINE                                         UKR				UEFA
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES                            UAE				AFC
UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA                     TAN				CAF
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA                        USA				CONFUT
UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS                    VIR				CONFUT
URUGUAY                                         URU				CONMEBOL
UZBEKISTAN                                      UZB				AFC
VANUATU                                         VAN				OFC
VENEZUELA                                       VEN				CONMEBOL
VIET NAM                                        VIE				AFC
WALES                                           WAL				UEFA
YEMEN                                           YEM				AFC
YUGOSLAVIA					YUG	SEE: SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
ZAMBIA                                          ZMB				CAF
ZIMBABWE                                        ZIM				CAF


Sources:

  1. Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 30 June 2001
  2. Mark Sensen, 30 June 2001
  3. FIFA Newsletter, May 1997
  4. Fédération Internationale de Football Association Website, September 2001