FIFA Is Born (1904): The Creation of Global Football Governance

Football’s early popularity in Europe brought excitement, crowds, and fast-growing clubs — but it also created a major problem: no international rules, no official body, and no global coordination. Each country had its own style, its own laws, and its own associations.

To solve this chaos, seven European nations came together in 1904 to create what would become the most powerful organization in the world of sports: FIFA — Fédération Internationale de Football Association.

This is the complete story of how FIFA was born, why it was necessary, who created it, and how it changed football forever.

⚽ Why the World Needed FIFA

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, football was expanding rapidly across Europe and South America. National associations already existed:

• England’s FA (1863)

• Scotland (1873)

• Wales (1876)

• Ireland (1880)

• The Netherlands (1889)

• Denmark (1889)

• Belgium (1895)

• Switzerland (1895)

International matches were becoming more common, especially between the UK and mainland Europe. But there were major problems:

• No unified rules for international play

• Disagreements over player eligibility

• No official referee standards

• No international competitions

• No authority to settle disputes

European nations realized they needed an organization to create a unified football world.

📅 The Historic Day: May 21, 1904

FIFA was founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France.

The founding meeting took place at 229 Rue Saint-Honoré, in the offices of the French sports magazine Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA).

The Seven Founding Members

The nations that formed FIFA were:

1. France

2. Belgium

3. Denmark

4. Netherlands

5. Spain (represented by Madrid FC, the early Real Madrid)

6. Sweden

7. Switzerland

Germany sent a telegram of support the next day, agreeing to join.

Notably, England — the creator of modern football — refused to join at first, believing football belonged under British control. England would join later.

👤 The First President: Robert Guérin

The first president of FIFA was Robert Guérin, a 28-year-old French journalist and football administrator. Although young, he had the ambition to unite football internationally.

Working with him:

• Louis Muhlinghaus (Belgium) – First Secretary

• Carl Anton Wilhelm Hirschman (Netherlands) – Became secretary later and saved FIFA during WWI

Guérin and his colleagues laid the foundation that transformed football from a regional pastime into a world sport.

📜 What Early FIFA Wanted to Achieve

The founders agreed on several goals:

1. Create universal rules for international matches

FIFA would decide how international matches should be played, ensuring consistency.

2. Approve and oversee international competitions

Before FIFA, international football was unofficial and disorganized.

3. Regulate player eligibility and transfers

Especially important when players moved between countries.

4. Encourage global participation

FIFA intended from the start to be an international body, not just European.

5. Promote peace and unity through football

The founders believed football could reduce conflict between nations.

🌍 FIFA Expands (1905–1914)

After its creation, FIFA quickly grew.

New members joined:

• England (1905)

• Scotland (1906)

• Wales (1906)

• Ireland (1908)

• South Africa (1909) — first non-European member

• Argentina (1912)

• Chile (1912)

• USA (1913)

By 1914, FIFA had become an international organization representing several continents.

FIFA’s First Big Success: Olympic Football

In 1908, FIFA organized its first major competition:
Football at the London Olympics, won by Great Britain.

This was the first globally recognized international football tournament.

⚠️ World War I: FIFA Nearly Dies

When World War I began in 1914, international football stopped. Communication between countries broke down. Some nations even left FIFA temporarily.

But one man kept FIFA alive: C.A.W. Hirschman of the Netherlands.
He maintained records, preserved correspondence, and kept the organization functioning until peace returned.

🌎 After the War: FIFA Becomes Global

By the 1920s, football was exploding worldwide.

• South America developed legendary teams (Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina).

• Europe’s leagues expanded rapidly.

• Fans demanded a true international championship.

This led directly to FIFA’s biggest achievement…

🏆 The Vision of a World Cup

Under FIFA president Jules Rimet, the organization launched the first-ever FIFA World Cup in 1930, hosted and won by Uruguay.

The tournament changed world sport forever and made FIFA the supreme authority in global football.

🌐 Legacy of FIFA’s Birth (1904)

FIFA’s foundation laid the bricks for the modern football world:

• It standardized the rules

• Created global competitions

• United national associations

• Built a system for referees and player transfers

• Enabled the creation of the World Cup

• Helped turn football into the world’s most popular sport

From seven European nations in a small Paris office, FIFA grew into an organization representing 211 countries — more than the United Nations.

Conclusion

The birth of FIFA in 1904 was not just the creation of a sports organization — it was the beginning of global football governance. What began as a European initiative became a worldwide empire that shaped every corner of the sport.

Without FIFA’s founding in 1904, football would not have become the universal language, the billion-fan spectacle, or the global cultural force it is today.

If you want, I can continue with the next chapter:

“The First FIFA World Cup: Uruguay 1930 – The Tournament That Changed Football Forever”

Just say “yes, continue”.