FIFA provides financial and logistical support to its 211 member associations through a variety of programmes designed to promote the development of football worldwide. This support is essential for the implementation of projects and initiatives that seek to improve sport in all corners of the world. We review some of the most notable activity during December which promote, strengthen and help make football truly global.

The official poster for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Seychelles 2025™ was unveiled in early December, celebrating the inaugural Beach Soccer World Cup in Africa.

The eye-catching design is inspired by old postcards that combine the nostalgia of written vacation greetings from loved ones with the vibrant summer feeling on a beach in the Seychelles.

In the foreground, a boy juggles a football while dreaming of one day playing at a FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup™. The pink rocks, white sand, palm trees and clear water form the perfect backdrop.

The colourful, dynamic and touching artwork also symbolises the diverse musical culture of the Seychelles and the infectious atmosphere and energy of beach soccer.

The Irish Football Association has unveiled a new framework for youth football that aims to revolutionise the game in Northern Ireland. This new structure has been created following a comprehensive review of youth football provision across the country by the association and aims to maximise enjoyment and technical development for every child and young person. The new framework is based on four key pillars: play, education, environment and governance.

“The framework covers all elements of youth football, from coaches and parents, to performance and match day, to the environment in which the game is played, including pitches, equipment and nets. We are determined to move all youth football in Northern Ireland forward together,” said James Thompson, Director of Foundations for the Irish Football Association.

The framework will be implemented in stages, starting with players at the earliest stages of development. Aaron Hughes, Technical Director of the Irish Football Association, explained that the framework is child-centered and aims to get more children involved in football, keep players playing for longer and develop more technically gifted footballers.   

Windsor Park in Belfast hosted a FIFA Talent Development Scheme event from 7-10 December. In Northern Ireland, talent development professionals from eight nations came together. In addition to Austria and host nation Northern Ireland, representatives from Finland, Poland, Bulgaria, Iceland, Scotland and Wales were also present.

The Austrian Football Association was represented by Martin Scherb (Overall Head of ÖFB Talent Development), Hermann Stadler (Sporting Director of LAZ West) and Michael Gangoly (Organizational Head of Talent Development).

“It was a very exciting and successful event, which was very well organized by our Northern Irish hosts. It is always important to see what happens in other associations and how they deal with problems that we may also face. There was a very open exchange, which certainly provided all participants with valuable new perspectives and input,” said Scherb.

The FIFA Foundation has confirmed the establishment of the Safe Football Support Unit (SFSU); an impartial dedicated unit that will offer specialist guidance and support services to victims of violence (physical, sexual and psychological harassment and abuse) in football.

The SFSU is the first of its kind within the international football community. It aims to respond to incidents of violence by providing impartial specialist guidance and support to victims and whistleblowers at local level using first do-no-harm practices, and by offering trauma-informed case management services to the disciplinary bodies of the football ecosystem.

The launch of the SFSU follows an extensive global consultation process that involved more than 230 stakeholders. A multi-stakeholder Safe Sport Entity Interim Steering Group, supported by four thematic expert groups, and survivors of abuse in sport themselves summarised their findings in a Final Report, which highlighted the need to provide impartial specialist support to the victims of violence in football to help them to come forward whilst continuing to develop additional multisport solutions for the longer term.

Bhekisisa Mkhonta, Technical Director of the Eswatini Football Association (EFA), is among a select group of technical leaders from around the world who have completed the first edition of FIFA's prestigious Technical Leadership Diploma.

The first edition of FIFA's Technical Leadership Diploma was attended by technical leaders from member associations, confederations and FIFA and proved to be a “transformative experience,” said Jamie Houchen, FIFA's Head of Technical Leadership.

The diploma enables global member associations to make a long-term commitment to and investment in their key staff and is in line with objective 5 of FIFA's Strategic Goals for the Global Game: 2023-2027: focus on Player, Coach and Referee development and FIFA Academies.

“The knowledge I have gained through this program has helped my development as EFA Technical Director immensely. Football is a dynamic sport, which is why such programs are so important,” says Bhekisisa Mkhonta, whose fellow graduates included Benjamin Kumwenda (Malawi), Ali Mwebe (Uganda), Lyson Zulu (Zambia), Walter Steenbok (South Africa). 

FIFA referee Diana Chikotesha from Zambia was a proud winner of the the CAF Women’s Assistant Referee of the Year Award.

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) has confirmed the names of the referees who have been included on the list of FIFA match officials. The list submitted by FUFA to FIFA following a decision by the FUFA Executive Committee was released and contains 24 names, including the names of chief referees and assistant referees.

The Barbados Football Association (BFA) also announced in December that five local match officials - one referee and four assistant referees - had been added to the list. BFA Head of Refereeing Victor Moore expressed his delight at the inclusion of the Barbadian referees on the FIFA International Referees List and confirmed that Barbados will have a FIFA-recognised men's referee for the first time since 2017.

"The FIFA Referee Badge is the pinnacle of refereeing in the world of football," he said. "To have five of our BFA referees on the list of FIFA international referees for 2025 is an outstanding achievement and a testament to the quality of the referees we have trained through the BFA. The inclusion of more local officials on the FIFA International Referee List is the result of the dedication of our technical education team and the support of our fellow referees, particularly over the last two seasons, and we look forward to adding to this list in the coming years."