A group of FIFA Member Associations (MAs) from Africa and Europe have met in Vienna to exchange ideas as part of FIFA's ongoing efforts to bridge the gap between different football regions.

The FIFA Cooperation & Knowledge-sharing Workshop between European and African MAs followed on from the one that brought together MAs from Europe and Central Asia held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in October 2023, where they discussed a wide range of topics. 

Raising the standard of football across the world is a key part of FIFA’s mission, and knowledge sharing and collaboration at such workshops between MAs from different confederations is an effective way of doing this is.

"The first event in Uzbekistan was a great example of cross-collaboration and we are creating the same kind of environment here in Austria with African federations," said FIFA Chief Member Associations Officer Elkhan Mammadov.

"By bringing together football associations from different continents, we’re not only sharing knowledge but also building the future of football together. Collaboration is the key to tackling our common challenges and unlocking new opportunities for the global game, and we have invited these federations so we can all learn from each other. This is also FIFA’s role: to build bridges which unite the world.”

The Vienna workshop involved representatives from MAs of Austria, Finland, Georgia, Moldova and Wales in Europe and Cameroon, Morocco, Senegal and Tanzania in Africa.

The selected topics included youth football development, investment in infrastructure, hosting of international tournaments and sustainability of elite club competitions. There were also panels on effective financial control, project management, women's football development and referee development.

"This workshop is a powerful example of how cross-confederation cooperation can accelerate football development," said Gelson Fernandes, FIFA Director Member Associations Africa. "It’s valuable to have a space where ideas can be exchanged openly, because many of our federations – no matter where they are in the world – face the same challenges. Having a space to hear from each other and learn from each other will benefit us all."

Thomas Hollerer, General Secretary of the Austria Football Association, said the workshop sent a strong signal of international cooperation and building bridges in football. “The direct exchange with our African and European partner associations clearly showed how much we can learn from one another. Formats like this create space for mutual understanding, foster development and innovative approaches, and contribute to the long-term development of football on a global level,“ he said.

Serghei Butelschi, General Secretary of the Football Association of Moldova (FMF), welcomed the chance to see “different approaches and cultures”. He said: “It was also very well structured because we had different associations from Europe and from Africa that could discuss common topics about football development.”

Papa Sidy Lo, a member of the Executive Committee member of the Senegalese Football Association, added: “We found the choice of topics presented and the way they were arranged to be highly relevant. The content of the presentations and the questions that followed enabled us to glean enough useful information to make good use of once in our respective countries. With this workshop, all the participants were sufficiently equipped to make good use of the methods and experiences acquired.”