French President Emmanuel Macron received FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the Élysée Palace in Paris on Tuesday in the presence of French Football Association (FFF) President Noël Le Graët.

The meeting focused on preparations for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which will take place in Brittany from 5 to 24 August 2018, and for the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, which France will host from 7 June to 7 July 2019. President Macron underlined France’s commitment to making these tournaments a festive and unifying occasion that would showcase the best of the country’s towns and regions.

For his part, the FIFA President presented his project to regulate the transfer system. “It is time we acted to ensure more transparency and clarity so that we can protect the game of football and everyone involved in it,” he explained. Confirming his support for these ambitious reforms, the French President proposed that France help organise a period of reflection with the various European countries in order to work on the necessary revision of European law to accompany this regulatory change.

Also discussed was the subject of implementing an effective development policy in Africa through sport. “FIFA welcomes and fully supports the project announced by Mr Macron in Ouagadougou and Accra last week,” said Infantino. “Through our Forward development programme, we are already supporting concrete initiatives on the ground. The discussion with the French President has opened new avenues and objectives, which we will be delighted to explore and realise by working with the French government and the FFF.”