The universally known FIFA, the international body of football, is an abbreviation of Federation Internationale de Football Association. Headquartered in Zurich (Switzerland), the organization is the largest sporting organization in the world. It is the governing body of football (soccer).

FIFA was founded in Paris on May 21, 1904 and organised its first international competition in 1906. However, the competition got little approval. The football competition in the 1908 Olympics in London was more successful.

Jules Rimet (1921), the third President of FIFA presided over two successful Olympic competitions despite the absence of England and Scotland. The success and rising profile of football made FIFA to consider of staging its own regular World Championship. And, the first World Cup took place in Uruguay in 1930.

Today FIFA is split into six confederations which oversee the game in different continents and regions of the world. They are as given below:

• AFC - Asian Football Confederation in Asia and Australia
• CAF - Confédération Africaine de Football in Africa
• CONCACAF - Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football in North America and Central America
• CONMEBOL - Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol in South America
• OFC - Oceania Football Confederation in Oceania
• UEFA - Union of European Football Associations in Europe.

Associations of FIFA
Presently 207 associations are affiliated to FIFA. They are supported by FIFA financially and logistically through various programmes and grants. The following table contains the complete list of associations:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, CAN) Cape Verde Islands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China PR, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Congo DR, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, FYR Macedonia, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea DPR, Korea Republic, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Surinam, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Sao Toma e Principe, Tahiti, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands, USA, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wales, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Contact:
Fédération Internationale de Football Association
FIFA-Strasse 20
P.O. Box 8044 Zurich, Switzerland
Tel.: +(41)-(43) 2227777
Fax: +(41)-(43) 2227878
Website: http://www.fifa.com