FIFA and the World Leagues Forum Release Statement to Work Together and Provide Knowledge and Expertise
The mission of the World Leagues Forum is to represent the professional football leagues on a world level with political and national governing bodies and foster cooperation between them. The Cooperation Agreement announced today is a new milestone.
FIFA, and the World Leagues Forum (WLF), the body representing the professional football leagues at the world level, have signed a cooperation agreement to work together on the development of professional football.
The agreement was signed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and WLF Chairman Christian Seifert,also CEO of the Bundesliga at the Home of FIFA in Zurich.
This is the first time that the football’s world governing body and the professional football leagues have entered into such an agreement.
The agreement details the many aspects of the “development program for professional football” that will be jointly developed by the two organizations.
This program will notably include training sessions and bespoke support to national football bodies to share best practices and improve standards and structures of professional football.
In particular, FIFA and the WLF will organize joint conferences and seminars to support emerging football countries.
“I am delighted to have signed this cooperation agreement that aims to promote and develop the professionalization of football across the globe,” said President Infantino.
“I would like to thank the WLF and its Chairman Christian Seifert for the constructive and collaborative engagement and I believe this agreement will play an important role in the long-term growth of professional football in many regions,” said Infantino.
“The World Leagues Forum is particularly glad to formalize this agreement with the world governing body of football,” said World Leagues Forum Chairman Seifert. “It is one of the missions of the WLF to foster cooperation between professional leagues and help them to develop. We are delighted that for the first time ever, leagues and FIFA join forces to achieve this goal”.
From left to right: Shehu Diko, Chairman of the Nigeria Professional Football League; Victor Montagliani, President of Concacaf, Vice-President of FIFA, Chairman of the FIFA Football Stakeholders Committee; Christian Seifert, Chairman of the WLF, CEO of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga; Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA; Don Garber, Vice-Chairman of the WLF, Commissioner of Major League Soccer
Full list of World Leagues Forum Members:
Asian Football Confederation (AFC):
J LEAGUE (Japan), QATAR STARS LEAGUE (Qatar), SAUDI PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE (Saudi Arabia), MALAYSIA LLP (Malaysia), AUSTRALIAN CLUBS ASSOCIATION (Australia), UAE PRO LEAGUE COMMITTEE (United Arab Emirates)
Confederation of African Football (CAF):
LIGUE DE FOOTBALL PROFESSIONNEL (Algeria), PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE (South Africa), KENYAN PREMIER LEAGUE (Kenya), NIGERIA PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE (Nigeria), LIGUE DE FOOTBALL GUINEENNE (Guinea), ZIMBABWE PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE (Zimbabwe), LIGUE NATIONALE DE FOOTBALL PROFESSIONNEL (Morocco)
Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF): MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER (USA), LIGA MX (Mexico), LIGA NACIONAL DE FÚTBOL PROFESIONAL HONDURAS (Honduras), UNAFUT COSTA RICA (Costa Rica), LIGA PANAMENA DE FUTBOL (Panama)
South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL):
DIMAYOR (Colombia), SUPERLIGA ARGENTINA DE FUTBOL (Argentina), LIGAPRO (Ecuador)
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA):
SERIE A (Italy), LA LIGA (Spain), BUNDESLIGA (Germany), LIGUE DE FOOTBALL PROFESSIONNEL (France), PREMIER LEAGUE (England), EREDIVISIE (The Netherlands), DIVISIONSFORENINGEN (Denmark), FORENINGEN SVENSK ELITFOTBOLL (Sweden), LIGA PORTUGUESA DE FUTEBOL PROFISSIONAL (Portugal), SWISS FOOTBALL LEAGUE (Switzerland), SCOTTISH PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE (Scotland), EKSTRAKLASA (Poland), SUPER LIGA SRBIJE (Serbia), UKRAINIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (Ukraine), ISRAELI PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUES (Israel), LIGA PROFESIONISTA DE FOTBAL (Romania), PRO LEAGUE (Belgium), RUSSIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (Russia
Source: Press Release from FIFA and the DFL
