From Zurich to Rabat, FIFA’s next political landmarks are beginning to take shape. World football’s governing body has called an Extraordinary Congress for 23 November 2026, a remote meeting that will arrive days after the deadline for candidates to enter the race for the presidency.
The gathering will be held by videoconference at 15:00 and will bring together the 211 member associations, each required to appoint a principal delegate. That representative may be the association’s president or another official nominated by the national body.
FIFA’s Council approved the meeting under the relevant provisions of its statutes. It will be the first such congress since a turbulent summer in which plans to offer private investors a share of commercial rights connected to the men’s World Cup met resistance and were ultimately put on hold. The proposal drew criticism of president Gianni Infantino from several federations, with UEFA particularly vocal, while disquiet also emerged across CONCACAF, the AFC, CONMEBOL, CAF and the OFC.
Infantino is expected to address the Congress. By then, the shape of the next presidential contest may be clearer: nominations close on 18 November, five days before the online session, and the incumbent has already made clear that he intends to seek another term.
The agenda also includes the selection of hosts for the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cups. Those decisions will place another pair of major tournaments on FIFA’s long-range map as the organisation prepares for its next full annual Congress.
That later meeting is scheduled for 18 March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco, and will be held in person. Delegates there will elect the FIFA president for the four-year period through to 2031, the cycle that includes the men’s 2030 World Cup across Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
The vote will therefore carry particular significance for the tournament’s three-nation host project. CAF’s influence could matter in the wider debate around the 2030 final, with Madrid and Casablanca the two cities at the centre of uncertainty over where the showpiece match will be staged.
