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The FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.
21 May 1904: Spain joins six other nations to create FIFA
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21 May 1904: Spain joins six other nations to create FIFA

Due to the growing popularity of football, a governing body was required to homogenise and take the sport forward

David Balmer

Friday, 21 May 2021, 09:51

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On this day in 1904, football's governing body, FIFA, was founded, marking the advent of the game as we know it. Due to the growing popularity of the sport, there was a need for a single governing body to provide unity among member associations and to plan matches at all levels. Seven nations therefore set up FIFA as founding members, including Spain.

In May 1904, representatives from the football associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and Spain met at the headquarters of the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA) in Paris. The idea for an international footballing body was spearheaded by French journalist Robert Guérin, who envisioned closer ties between national associations, officials and players.

Despite being listed as founding members, Spain and Sweden were not present at the first meetings. Instead, the USFSA secretary André Espir represented Spain by proxy, although the Spanish delegation that eventually took part was actually from Madrid Football Club, today known as Real Madrid. This is because the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) was not founded until 1913, and therefore Spain only became an official member of FIFA at that time. Madrid Football Club president Carlos Padrós sent a letter of apology for not being able to attend the opening session. Interestingly, Padrós and his brother Juan, who had founded the Madrid football club in 1902, were Catalans.

On 21 May 1904, the seven national delegations established a non-profit organisation under the French acronym FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association). On the same day, the German Football Association sent a telegram expressing its desire to join.

As the pre-existing national bodies of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland wanted to remain independent, no joint UK delegation came forward. The English Football Association did, however, become the first British body to join in 1905.

Guérin became the first president of FIFA, being replaced by Englishman Daniel Burley Woolfall in 1906. His presidency lasted for 12 years until his death in 1918. During his time in office, Woolfall played a prominent role in drafting FIFA's new constitution. As a result, the international Laws of the Game were established under the English model, removing any differences in how the game was played.

A total of nine men have served as FIFA president, including Britons Arthur Drewry and Stanley Rous. In recent years, Spain's Ángel María Villar served as a vice-president of FIFA from 2002 until 2017, when he was arrested on corruption charges.

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