FIFA is organizing a cross-Confederation Workshop for European and African Member Associations in Vienna hosted in Austria thanks to the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB)
Dates: 28–30 April 2025
Location: Vienna, Austria
As part of its ongoing commitment to strengthening global football development, FIFA is organizing a cross-confederation workshop from 28 to 30 April 2025 in Vienna hosted by the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB).
Raising the standard of football across the world is a key part of FIFA’s mission and one very effective method of doing this is by knowledge sharing and collaboration between member associations in different regions. This workshop will bring together Member Associations from both the UEFA and CAF regions, reflecting FIFA’s strategic commitment to supporting and empowering its members through enhanced collaboration, practical knowledge exchange, and a focus on shared development goals.
Participating Member Associations include:
- From the UEFA zone: Finland, Moldova, Wales, Austria, Georgia
- From the CAF zone: Gabon, Morocco, Senegal, Tanzania, Cameroon
Each Member Association is represented by one or two delegates, who will contribute as subject-matter experts, sharing experience and insights into their respective areas of expertise.
Following consultation with participating Associations, five core development priorities have been identified for this workshop. These include promoting the sustainability of elite club competitions which will be presented and detailed by Tanzania, increasing investment in football infrastructure explained by host federation of Austria, and accelerating women’s football development that will be presented by Finland. Additional focus areas include enhancing participation in and hosting international tournaments by Georgia, Moldova and Morocco who will soon hold the AFCON and in 2030 co-host the FIFA World Cup and improving financial controlling and governance practices by Wales, Youth and referee development will be explained by Senegal and Gabon. A global approach where everyone will give their own expertise, challenges and allow all to reflect on self-strategy.
By providing this platform, FIFA seeks to raise standards, inspire innovation, and encourage cross-confederation partnerships, ultimately contributing to the global growth and sustainability of the game which is a key objective.
This initiative reflects FIFA’s broader vision of unity, solidarity, and progress, and highlights its role as a key facilitator of development across all levels of football.
"This is already the second the knowledge exchange, the previous one was held in Uzbekistan with Federations from Europe and Asia and was a great example of cross-collaboration. We are creating the same kind of excellence environment here in Austria with Africain federations. 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 that’s why we want to invite these federations. We will all learn from each-others and this is also FIFA’s role : to build bridges which unite the world.”
Gelson Fernandes, FIFA Deputy Chief Member Associations officer, Africa regional director:
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."
