VFF leaders attend the 2026 FIFA Congress
On April 29, 2026, the FIFA Council held a meeting ahead of the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada, to discuss key issues in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Notably, the council approved an increase in the distribution budget for the 48 participating teams, reaching nearly USD 900 million, creating numerous development opportunities for international football teams.
30/04/2026 19:42:49
The Vietnam Football Federation delegation attending the Congress includes Mr. Trần Quốc Tuấn – FIFA Competition Committee Member, AFC Standing Member, and President of the Vietnam Football Federation; Mr. Trần Anh Tú – Vice President of the Vietnam Football Federation; and Mr. Nguyễn Văn Phú – General Secretary of the Vietnam Football Federation.
Regarding financial matters for the 2026 World Cup, the FIFA Council decided to increase the distribution budget for the participating teams to nearly USD 871 million, a 15% increase compared to previous tournaments. The support includes preparation funds, qualification participation funds, and subsidies for team delegation costs, helping teams better prepare for the biggest tournament in the world.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized: “We are proud to be in the strongest financial position ever, enabling us to support our member associations in unprecedented ways.”
Alongside this, based on the initiative to establish the Afghan Women Refugee Team, FIFA agreed to amend regulations to allow this team to participate in official FIFA competitions, opening up opportunities for refugee women footballers in Afghanistan to compete internationally. The FIFA Council also confirmed the application of new rules regarding yellow cards, where yellow cards will be canceled after the group stage and quarter-finals.
Additionally, the FIFA Council approved two law changes related to players leaving the field in protest against referees’ decisions and players covering their mouths when speaking to opponents during confrontations, following a special meeting of the IFAB Law Committee.
The FIFA Council appointed Armenia and Georgia as hosts for the 2029 FIFA U-20 World Cup™, and confirmed that the United States, specifically Miami, will host the final phase of the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup™ from January 27-31. Moreover, the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026™ in Qatar is scheduled to take place from November 19 to December 13.
Official international football matches scheduled for this year include: AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 (January 7 – February 5), CONCACAF Gold Cup 2027 (June 19 – July 11), and Africa Cup of Nations CAF 2027 (June 19 – July 17).
The FIFA Council also announced that the election for the new FIFA President for the 2027-2031 term will be held at the 77th FIFA Congress, expected to take place in 2027, starting from April 30, 2026.
Finally, the FIFA Council unanimously agreed to consult with relevant stakeholders on a regulation requiring top club teams to always have at least one young player from U-20 or U-21 categories on the field, aiming to promote the development of young players in the near future.
