1 March 1921 - FIFA's Man With A Plan

On 1 March 1921, Jules Rimet became FIFA's third president and remains their longest-serving one, holding the office for 33 years.

A French attorney, Rimet was involved in FIFA's founding in 1904, but the presidency first went to his countryman, Robert Guérin. Guérin served for only two years and was succeeded by Englishman Daniel Woolfall. Rimet, meanwhile became the president of the French Football Federation in 1919 and remained in that position when he took over from Woolfall two years later, holding the two positions jointly for over twenty years.

When he ascended to the FIFA presidency, the organization had only 12 members, which he raised to 85 before the end of his term. But one of his most significant contributions was the establishment of the World Cup, which he proposed in 1928 and was first played in 1930. The World Cup trophy was renamed in his honor in 1946.

Rimet resigned as the FFF president in 1942, but remained FIFA president until 1954. His 33-year tenure remains the longest in FIFA history, with João Havelange's 24-year term a distant second.

In 1956, two years after his retirement, Rimet passed away, just two days after his 83rd birthday.

18 November 2011 - An Apology Is Better Than Nothing (But Not By Much)

On 18 November 2011, Sepp Blatter apologized for remarks he made earlier in the week about racism in football. It was the latest in a series of events over the course of a difficult year for the FIFA president.

No stranger to controversy, Blatter had previously provoked strong reactions for several statements, including his opinion that women's football would be more popular if the players wore tight shorts and his description of Cristiano Ronaldo's contract situation as a form of slavery. During his 2010 campaign for re-election to his FIFA post, he fell under intense scrutiny for allegations of corruption throughout the organization.

Then, in mid-November 2011, he addressed the problem of racism in football by suggesting that the players resolve any on-field incidents with a post-match handshake. The comment immediately drew harsh criticism from a wide variety of sources, most notably from Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who called the comment "so condescending it's almost laughable." Many people called for Blatter's resignation.

The pressure led to his eventual apology. He did not deliver it in person, however, but instead submitted a written statement that was read by FIFA official Tokyo Sexwale. The statement read: "When you have done something which was not totally correct, I can only say I am sorry for all those people affected by my declarations. It hurts and I am still hurting because I couldn't envisage such a reaction."

Despite continued calls for his resignation, Blatter refused, saying that such a step was "not compatible with [his] fighting spirit." He finally resigned in 2015 after a widespread corruption scandal and is currently serving a six-year FIFA suspension that will last until 2022.

15 November 2009 - In His Defense, He Never Actually Said What "It" Was

On 15 November 2009, FIFA issued a two-month ban to Diego Maradona and fined him £15,000 as the result of a press conference he gave the previous month.

After taking over as manager of the Argentinian national team in 2008, the former star midfielder guided them through a difficult qualification campaign for the 2010 World Cup that included a 6-1 defeat to Bolivia as well as losses to Ecuador, Brazil, and Paraguay. With two matches remaining, Argentina were in fifth place and in danger of missing the World Cup.

But they won those last two matches, over Peru and Uruguay, to claim the last guaranteed CONCACAF spot. After the second one, Maradona held a live televised press conference in which he railed against the Argentinian press for the criticism they had delivered during the campaign. The most memorable part of his rant was when he said the journalists "can suck it and keep on sucking it," which prompted FIFA's action.

The ban expired on 15 January 2010. Maradona led Argentina to the World Cup quarterfinals, then fell out with the Argentina Football Federation, who decided later that summer not to renew his contract.

29 July 2008 - FIFA Brings Out The Big Stick Against Ethiopia

On 29 July 2008, FIFA suspended Ethiopia from international competition, ending their World Cup qualification campaign after only four matches.

The decision was a political one, stemming from the Ethiopian Football Federation's removal of their president, Ashebir Woldegiorgis the previous January. Although the EFF cited the national team's poor performance as the basis for their decision, FIFA refused the recognize the decision and ordered the federation to work with Dr. Woldegiorgis to "normalise the situation of the EFF and to bring back unity within the Ethiopian football community." They also established a "roadmap" of events intended to guide the process.

But by July 2008, the EFF had failed to meet the requirements set by FIFA, so the governing body issued its suspension, effective immediately. Ethiopia, who were four matches into the qualification campaign for the 2010 World Cup, were forced to withdraw. They also missed the 2008 CECAFA Cup for countries from East and Central Africa.

The suspension lasted for one year, with FIFA lifting it in 2009.

8 June 2006 - FIFA Crosses A Number Line

On 8 June 2006, FIFA proposed an eighteen-team limit for the top European leagues, who soundly rejected it.

Intended both to help reduce fixture congestion and to create additional open dates for international competition, FIFA endorsed the idea at their 56th Congress in Munich. Perhaps not coincidentally, the German Bundesliga was the only major European league already restricted to eighteen teams, while the top flights in England, France, Italy, and Spain each had twenty teams.

Although FIFA President Sepp Blatter was confident that those leagues would adopt the change in advance of the 2007-08 season, their reaction was one of strong opposition, with English Premier League spokesman Dan Johnson telling the press "The only people who are going to tell us how to run the Premier League are the league's 20 member clubs' chairmen."

Ultimately, those leagues chose not to implement the new proposal and they all continue to have twenty teams (while the Bundesliga maintains its level at eighteen).

Blatter apparently took offense at the Premier League's vocal opposition, singling England out for criticism later that month for their style of play.

4 October 2010 - FIFA Grounds The Super Eagles

On 4 October 2010, just days before a scheduled African Cup of Nations qualifier, FIFA issued a worldwide ban against Nigeria, suspending them from participating in any football competitions. It was the second such ban received by the team in just over three months.

The suspension was the latest in a series of dramatic events that had hounded the team since their inglorious exit from the World Cup where, despite being tipped by many to make a strong run, they finished at the bottom of their first-round group and left having earned just a single point. Little more than a week after their last World Cup match, a 2-2 draw with South Korea, frustrated Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan issued his own ban, forbidding the team from participating in any international competition for two years, though he soon reconsidered and rescinded the suspension six days later.

In August 2010, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) held elections despite an alleged court order instructing them to postpone the voting. Shortly afterward, the National Association of Nigerian Footballers filed suit against the new NFF officers and received a Lagos High Court ruling that the elections were null and void.

That latest event was the final straw for FIFA, whose rules prohibit government intervention in the affairs of its members. In announcing the ban, FIFA stated that "During the period of suspension, the NFF will not be able to be represented in any regional, continental or international competitions, including at club level, and also not in friendly matches."

Following the announcement, the NAFC pledged to drop their challenge against the NFF at an upcoming court hearing. In response, FIFA lifted the ban provisionally, allowing the Super eagles to play their qualifier on 10 October (they lost to Guinea, 1-0).

8 June 1998 - FIFA Gets Blattered

On 8 June 1998, Joseph "Sepp" Blatter became president of FIFA, winning an election against Swedish challenger Lennart Johansson. Shortly afterward, rumors of corruption surfaced and continue to surround Blatter to this day.

He won the election by a vote count of 111 to 80 to replace outgoing president João Havelange, who had served since 1974. Johansson immediately raised concerns about the manner in which Blatter won the election. Then, only a few months after the election, British author David Yallop published How They Stole The Game, a book about FIFA that included allegations that Blatter's votes were acquired through bribery. According to Yallop, an unnamed Middle Eastern ruler distributed a total of $1 million among 20 FIFA delegates prior to the election in return for their switching their votes from Johansson to Blatter.

Blatter successfully sued to ban the book's publication in his home country of Switzerland, but lost similar legal battles in Holland, Germany, Austria, and Brazil. The Dutch judge who rejected Blatter's request for an injunction in Holland urged FIFA to conduct an internal inquiry, but Blatter dismissed the advice, responding "Why should I? I cannot open an inquiry into myself. The elections are now finished."

Rumors of bribery and other forms of corruption have followed Blatter ever since, including allegations raised before his re-election in 2002. Those claims went to a Zurich court, who cleared Blatter of any personal involvement. 

He won remained president until 2016, when, after winning yet another re-election the previous year, he resigned amid two separate corruption investigations run by the Swiss government and the United States Justice Department. He is currently serving a six-year suspension from all football activity.

16 January 2004 - How Popular Is Women's Volleyball, Anyway?

On 16 January 2004, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter drew criticism for suggesting that female footballers could increase their appeal by wearing, among other things, tighter shorts.

During a discussion on ways to improve the popularity of women's football, Blatter said "Let the women play in more feminine clothes like they do in volleyball. They could, for example, have tighter shorts." He went on to say "Female players are pretty, if you excuse me for saying so, and they already have some different rules to men, such as playing with a lighter ball. That decision was taken to create a more female aesthetic, so why not do it in fashion?"

Predictably, the response from female footballers was not enthusiastic. England goalkeeper Pauline Cope remarked that Blatter "doesn't know what he is talking about. We don't use a lighter ball for one thing, and to say we should play football in hotpants is plain ridiculous." Fulham manager Marieanne Spacey pointed out that "Ten years ago, we did play in tighter shorts. Nobody paid attention then."

The incident was neither the first nor last time Blatter received criticism. As soon as he took the post of FIFA president in 2002, rumors immediately surfaced claiming he had bribed his way to the office. More recently, he came under fire for saying that homosexuals worried about traveling to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup should "refrain from any sexual activities" while there (see video).

14 October 1873 - The Father Of The World Cup

On 14 October 1873, former FIFA President and World Cup founder Jules Rimet was born in the French village of Theuley-les-Lavoncourt.

A lawyer by training, Rimet first got involved with football in 1897 when, at the age of 24, he founded a sports club on the outskirts of Paris and called it Red Star. Despite not being a footballer himself, he chose football as one of the sports to be played at the club.

After serving in World War I and winning the Croix de Guerre, Rimet became the first president of France's new football association, the Fédération Française de Football (FFF), in 1919. Two years later, he became the president of FIFA. At the time, FIFA had only a dozen members. By the time he retired in 1954, that number had grown to 85.

It was during his time at FIFA that he pushed his idea for an international tournament that became the World Cup. In recognition, FIFA named the first trophy after him.

He died in 1956, two days after his 83rd birthday.

13 October 2006 - FIFA, Fashion Police

On 13 October 2006, FIFA announced its decision to dock Cameroon 6 points in their qualification campaigns for the 2010 World Cup and 2008 African Cup of Nations--all because the Indomitable Lions wore a unitard.

Cameroon had a history of kit controversy after wearing sleeveless shirts at the 2002 African Cup of Nations. Afterward, FIFA told them they could not wear them at the 2002 World Cup, so Puma, Cameroon's kit maker, added black sleeves for that tournament.

For the '04 Cup of Nations, Puma provided Cameroon with a new kit. Although the shirt and shorts appeared to be separate, they were actually connected to form a one-piece. Cameroon wore the kit for the tournament's first round, but FIFA told them afterward that they could not wear it for the later rounds. Cameroon, however, pleaded that it was too difficult to obtain replacement kits on such short notice and wore the one-piece for their quarterfinal match against Nigeria on 8 February (Nigeria won, 2-1).

After FIFA announced its long-awaited punishment, it eventually relented and rescinded the points penalties. Meanwhile, Puma took FIFA to court, arguing that the rules of the game did not require the shirt and shorts to be separate. They lost, too.

15 July 2004 - FIFA's Stock In England Hits An All-Time Low

On 15 July 2004, FIFA officially recognized China as the birthplace of football.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter, speaking at the opening ceremony for the Third International Football Expo in Beijing, announced that the organization agreed with the findings of the Chinese Football Association who dated the origins of the game back to approximately 300 B.C. in the city of Linzi in the Shandong Province. At that time, Linzi was the capital of the Qin dynasty.

The ancient Chinese of that period played a sport known as cuju (literally translated as "kick ball"), in which teams from two to 16 people per side competed by kicking a ball stuffed with feathers and hair into small nets placed at the end of bamboo canes. The players could use any part of the body except the hands.

The game grew in popularity through the subsequent Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220), which standardized the game and even used it as part of a military training program. In the Tang dynasty (618-907), when the feather-and-hair stuffed ball was replaced with an air-filled one, the sport's popularity continued to increase into all sections of society, including women. It also extended into Korea and Japan. Professional teams developed in the Song dynasty (960-1279) and the sport became strictly regulated.

Cuju began to decline in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Around 1900, modern football was introduced, leading to the creation of the CFA in 1924.

20 May 2004 - A Birthday Present Only FIFA Could Give (To Itself)

On 20 May 2004, FIFA organized a friendly re-match of the 1998 World Cup Final between France and Brazil. FIFA was founded on 21 May 1904 and organized the match to honor its centennial.

The friendly, like the original match, was played at Paris' Stade de France, but this time before a crowd of 79,344 - a new attendance record for the French national team. The match featured a virtual galaxy of stars, including Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Kaká for Brazil and Marcel Desailly, Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, and David Trezeguet for Les Bleus.

Unlike the 1998 Final, which was a 3-0 victory for France, the friendly ended as a scoreless draw. That in itself was historic, as never before in the ten previous meetings between the two countries had a match ended without a goal.

7 January 2013 - Congratulations, Now About That Suit ...

On 7 January 2013, Lionel Messi won an unprecedented fourth consecutive Ballon d'Or.

The Barcelona forward first won the honor in 2009, before it merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year Award, then won the combined award, the FIFA Ballon d'Or, in 2010 and 2011. The three trophies matched the previous record, reached by only three other people—Johan Cruyff (1971, 1973, 1974), Michel Platini (1983, 1984, 1985), and Marco van Basten (1988, 1989, 1992).

Then, in 2012, Messi scored an incredible 91 goals for Barcelona and Argentina, beating the previous European record of 85 goals in a calendar year, set by Gerd Müller in 1972. Although he suffered a slight trophy drought that year, with Barcelona winning only the Copa del Rey after taking five pieces of silverware the previous year, including the La Liga and the Champions League titles, Messi's individual accomplishment saw him get 41.60% of the Ballon d'Or vote, almost doubling the tally of second-place finisher Cristiano Ronaldo (23.68%).

Other winners at the ceremony that day included the USA's Abby Wambach, the Women's World Player of the Year, and Vicente del Bosque (Spain) and Pia Sundhage (USA) as the men's and women's Coaches of the Year.

23 December 2000 - Real Madrid Runs Away With The Vote

On 23 December 2000, FIFA recognized Real Madrid as the Club of the Century.

The award was part of a series of centennial honors organized by FIFA for the end of 2000, including both make and female Players of the Century. The latter two were selected by an international jury, readers of FIFA's website, and subscribers to the bi-monthly publication FIFA Magazine. Club of the Century, however, was chosen exclusively by the magazine subscribers.

When the results were revealed, Real Madrid were the overwhelming choice, receiving just over 42% of the vote while no other club crossed the 10% mark. The other vote recipients in the top five were Manchester United (9.69%), Bayern Munich (9.18%), and Barcelona (5.61%), while Santos and Ajax were tied at 5.10%.

The Player of the Century awards were split, with Pelé and Diego Maradona sharing one and Michelle Akers and Sun Wen sharing the other.

10 December 2004 - FIFA Goes Clubbing Again

On 10 December 2004, FIFA announced the restoration of the Club World Championship, replacing the Intercontinental Cup.

Dating back to 1960, the Intercontinental Cup matched the Copa Libertadores champions against the European Cup/Champions League winners, with the winner claiming the unofficial title as world champions. Originally played as a two-legged home and away series, in 1980 it rebranded as the Toyota Cup and switched to a single-game format, with the match played in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, in 2000, FIFA held a separate competition called the Club World Championship. Eight teams participated--one each from CONCACAF, CAF, AFC, and OFC, plus two from both UEFA and CONMEBOL. Although FIFA planned it as a continuing tournament, they eventually canceled the 2001 edition due in part to the loss of their marketing partner.

But in 2004, they decided to revive it, merging their earlier concept with the Toyota Cup. Played in Tokyo, the tournament included the winners of each of the six confederation championships in a knockout-round format. São Paulo won the first one, beating Liverpool 1-0 in the final.

Now known as the Club World Cup, FIFA holds the tournament every year, with Corinthians winning the most recent one in 2012.

2 December 2010 - FIFA Qourts Qontroversy

On 2 December 2010, in a decision that became a lightning rod for controversy, FIFA awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

FIFA announced the hosts of both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, with the former going to Russia over a bid from England and combined bids from the Netherlands/Belgium and Spain/Portugal. But while that decision drew criticism of its own, it was the 2022 tournament host that sparked the loudest outcry.

Qatar's weather sat at the forefront of all concerns, with temperatures there in the summer reaching over 110° Fahrenheit (43.33° Celsius), posing a risk for players and other attendees. In its bid, selected over competition from the United States, Australia, Japan, and South Korea, Qatar proposed building five new climate-controlled stadiums. Skeptics immediately questioned the feasibility of that plan and just a few days after it announced the decision, FIFA began entertaining the idea of moving the 2022 tournament to the winter.

Other criticisms focused on the country's poor human-rights records, particularly with regard to discrimination against homosexuals, to which FIFA President Sepp Blatter responded by saying that those concerned should simply "refrain from any sexual activities" while in Qatar. The country's treatment of migrant workers presented another issue, fueled by reports of deaths among Nepalese laborers brought in to help prepare for the tournament.

In late 2013, Qatar again found itself in a negative spotlight over the country's refusal to grant an exit visa to French footballer Zahir Belounis. After trying to leave the country for over two years, Qatar finally allowed Belounis to leave that November.

21 July 1970 - At Least They Didn't Go Home Empty-Handed

On 21 July 1970, FIFA awarded the inaugural Fair Play Trophy to Peru for not receiving a single card during the World Cup.

The tournament was Peru's first World Cup since 1930, when they lost both of their matches. They did better in 1970, beating Bulgaria and Morocco before losing to West Germany in their final group-stage match. That was enough to send them into the quarterfinals, where they lost to Brazil on 14 June.

The tournament ended on 21 June with Brazil beating Italy in the final. Later that day, as part of the awards ceremony, FIFA recognized Peru's spotless disciplinary record with a new honor called the Fair Play Trophy.

Since then, the trophy has been awarded at every World Cup, given to the team with the fewest cards. Spain won the most recent Fair Play Trophy in 2010. In addition to a trophy, the winners get a certificate, a medal for each player and team official, and $50,000 worth of equipment for their youth programs.

5 July 2012 - The Times They Are A-Changin'

On 5 July 2012, the International Football Association Board, responsible for the Laws of the Game, finally approved the use of goal-line technology, reversing years of opposition.

According to the Laws of the Game, a goal is counted only when the ball passes completely over the goal line. But the fallibility of referees means that disputed goals have long been a staple of football, even reaching to the highest level. In 1966, England won the World Cup over West Germany 4-2, with their third goal still stirring controversy over whether it should have been allowed.

To address the problem, calls for the use of goal-line technology started in the 2000s, but FIFA resisted the pressure, with President Sepp Blatter saying as late as 2010 that it would be too expensive and would slow down match play.

But high-profile incidents continued to stoke public support, including a disallowed English goal against Germany in the 2010 World Cup that was far over the line (pictured) and another by Ukraine against England at Euro 2012.

Then, in July 2012, the IFAB--which consists of FIFA and the FAs of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland--decided to allow the use of goal-line technology, starting with the 2012 Club World Cup and the 2013 Confederations Cup (although neither tournament presented an opportunity to review a decision whether to allow a goal).

At the same meeting, IFAB voted to allow women to wear headscarves while playing, reversing a rule against religious statements that had been enforced since 2007, and also voted to allow a fifth referee at matches.

1 March 1921 - FIFA's Man With A Plan

On 1 March 1921, Jules Rimet became FIFA's third president and remains their longest-serving one, holding the office for 33 years.

A French attorney, Rimet was involved in FIFA's founding in 1904, but the presidency first went to his countryman, Robert Guérin. Guérin served for only two years and was succeeded by Englishman Daniel Woolfall. Rimet, meanwhile became the president of the French Football Federation in 1919 and remained in that position when he took over from Woolfall two years later, holding the two positions jointly for over twenty years.

When he ascended to the FIFA presidency, the organization had only 12 members, which he raised to 85 before the end of his term. But one of his most significant contributions was the establishment of the World Cup, which he proposed in 1928 and was first played in 1930. The World Cup trophy was renamed in his honor in 1946.

Rimet resigned as the FFF president in 1942, but remained FIFA president until 1954. His 33-year tenure remains the longest in FIFA history, with João Havelange's 24-year term a distant second.

In 1956, two years after his retirement, Rimet passed away, just two days after his 83rd birthday.

18 November 2011 - An Apology Is Better Than Nothing (But Not By Much)

On 18 November 2011, Sepp Blatter apologized for remarks he made earlier in the week about racism in football. It was the latest in a series of events over the course of a difficult year for the FIFA president.

No stranger to controversy, Blatter had previously provoked strong reactions for several statements, including his opinion that women's football would be more popular if the players wore tight shorts and his description of Cristiano Ronaldo's contract situation as a form of slavery. During his 2010 campaign for re-election to his FIFA post, he fell under intense scrutiny for allegations of corruption throughout the organization.

Then, in mid-November 2011, he addressed the problem of racism in football by suggesting that the players resolve any on-field incidents with a post-match handshake. The comment immediately drew harsh criticism from a wide variety of sources, most notably from Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who called the comment "so condescending it's almost laughable." Many people called for Blatter's resignation.

The pressure led to his eventual apology. He did not deliver it in person, however, but instead submitted a written statement that was read by FIFA official Tokyo Sexwale. The statement read: "When you have done something which was not totally correct, I can only say I am sorry for all those people affected by my declarations. It hurts and I am still hurting because I couldn't envisage such a reaction."

Despite continued calls for his resignation, Blatter refused, saying that such a step was "not compatible with [his] fighting spirit."