FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reiterated his commitment to unity, women empowerment and youth development in global football during his address at the 50th UEFA Congress in Brussels, Belgium.
Taking to Instagram after the event, Infantino expressed his delight at the milestone gathering being staged in Belgium for the first time.
“It is always a great pleasure to be here at the 50th UEFA Congress in Brussels, at the very heart of Europe. For the first time this Congress is taking place in Belgium, a fantastic football country with an incredible heritage.”
The FIFA President highlighted three key pillars shaping the future of the game – women, youth and unity – stressing the need for greater female representation in football leadership.
“I spoke about three pillars: women, youth and unity. We need more women in important positions in football, and here, The Royal Belgian FA is led by a brilliant woman, Pascale Van Damme.”
Infantino also underlined FIFA’s continued investment in youth competitions and the women’s game.
“We must continue investing in youth, building on the success of the FIFA U-17 World Cups and we look forward to the new U-15 festival for boys and girls and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year.”
Looking ahead, he described the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a global celebration of togetherness.
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America will be a celebration of unity, peace and solidarity, bringing the world together in joy and happiness.
“Let us continue working all together for football, always striving to do a little bit better than before.”
The 2026 tournament, to be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, will be the first expanded edition featuring 48 teams.
Infantino’s remarks reinforce FIFA’s broader strategic focus on inclusion, grassroots development and global unity through football.
