On 5 October 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron met FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the presence of French Football Association (FFF) President Noël Le Graët.

During this working meeting, they agreed on the principle of opening a FIFA office in Paris at the beginning of 2021. The operational procedures will now be developed with the teams of the "Choose France" initiative.

FIFA, which was founded in the French capital in 1904, is thus going back to its roots by opening these new facilities, which will also lead to new activities in the Paris region.

This new undertaking is in line with FIFA’s desire to consolidate its relations with France and the French-speaking world, as well as UNESCO and the French Development Agency (AFD), partners in the educational and development policies it deploys through football.

The impact of COVID-19 on football was also discussed at the meeting, along with the organisations’ joint projects for women’s football and development in Africa.