Football is played on every continent, by every conceivable type of person, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, ability or any other distinguishing factor. It’s truly the world’s game, and we strive to ensure that this incredible diversity is represented within our staff, and that FIFA remains an inclusive place to work.

As an organisation, our aim is to create and continuously develop an environment that celebrates diversity and inclusion – enabling all of our employees to participate and make meaningful contributions.

We are committed to widening representation, focusing on fair treatment and improving equal opportunities while ensuring the active engagement and inclusive participation of all people, at all levels of our beautiful game.

Making football truly global starts with us, the FIFA team. It’s our responsibility to ensure that we, as an organisation, reflect the diverse and international nature of our sport. 

Below is a snapshot of our current workforce demographic:

We have taken great strides in our journey to build a diverse and inclusive workplace, but we will always keep striving for better. As part of our continued efforts to make FIFA an ever more equal and accessible workplace, we are determined to further broaden our diversity and inclusion agenda, committing to clear actions to ensure that our workforce is a true representation of our society across the globe, and that everyone feels included.

In particular, we recognise that some areas outside of Europe are under-represented within our workforce, and although we boast a balanced gender mix among top management, women are under-represented within the middle management level. We are also currently reviewing our data collection practices, and increasing learning opportunities to help us better understand where we can make further improvements.

Accountability belongs to all of us.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion spreads far beyond our own workforce. Through various programmes, awards, campaigns, investments and initiatives, we aim to engage, inspire and empower our partner organisations, member associations and the wider football community to improve their own understanding of diversity and inclusion. Here are a few examples...

FIFA Good Practice Guide on Diversity and Anti-Discrimination

We have developed a good practice guide for member associations to help them develop their own sustainable strategy and action plan that goes beyond immediate reactions to discriminatory incidents at matches. FIFA Good Practice Guide on Diversity and Anti-Discrimination.

A barrier-free FIFA World Cup™

FIFA is working with FIFA World Cup 2022™ hosts Qatar and other key stakeholders to provide a barrier-free experience for all fans, whether in the stadiums, on public transportation, or in accommodation and fan zones.

Greater visibility for disabled fans

The 2019 FIFA Fan Award was given to a remarkable Brazilian woman, who was given recognition by fans the world over for narrating matches for her son who is blind and lives with autism.

FIFA Diversity Award

The FIFA Diversity Award was set up in 2016 to recognise and reward outstanding and sustained efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion and standing up for anti-discrimination.

Anti-discrimination at tournaments

In 2018 we used an anti-discrimination monitoring system at a FIFA World Cup for the first time, leading to sanctions for racist and homophobic incidents.

A platform for female football stories

In 2019, our “Sheroes” campaign was designed to highlight inspirational and untold stories of women in football.

Human rights

FIFA was the first sports body to adopt a human rights policy, embracing our responsibility to respect human rights under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

FIFA Foundation projects

The FIFA Foundation promotes social inclusion through football, including numerous grassroots initiatives through the FIFA Foundation Community Programme, Football for Schools, and the FIFA Legends as ambassadors. 

Women in Football Leadership Programme (WFLP)

Through the WFLP, a joint initiative with UEFA and the IMD Business School, we aim to empower women to assume leadership positions within football all over the world.

Investment in women’s football

In 2019, FIFA more than tripled the financial contribution to teams participating in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019, and has committed to further increase it significantly for the 2023 edition, alongside an expanded format.