FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reminded delegates attending the fourth FIFA Compliance Summit in Costa Rica of the need to “go beyond best practice and look at compliance in a different way”. Delivering his address by video message, the FIFA President requested that good governance remains a core topic across all FIFA member associations, stating that the aim of this year’s event is to “go beyond best practice and look at compliance in a different way.” “How can we expand best practice policy so that it is embedded as a shared mindset and culture?”, the FIFA President said, challenging the participants from all over the world “to set the wheels in motion during, and after, this summit”.

The FIFA President looked back to his election in 2016, and the improvements that have been implemented within the organisation. “We had to make some fast and radical changes and reforms, via the new Legal and Compliance Division, and when it comes to compliance matters, it is like a referee in a game,” he said. “When you don’t notice the referee, this means that they are doing a pretty good job. This is because (at FIFA) we installed some very important good governance principles, and it’s important that we remind all of us, always, of what we did. The new FIFA is a credible, trustworthy organisation, which is, and has to be at the service of football, not the other way around. There are three words that sum up this transformation: Credibility, transparency, accountability.” After welcoming the guests joining both physically and virtually, the FIFA President wished Costa Rica the best of luck for the upcoming FIFA World Cup™ in Qatar, together with all 32 participating teams. Rodolfo Villalobos, President of the Costa Rican Football Association, together with FIFA Deputy Secretary General (Administration) Alasdair Bell, FIFA Chief Legal & Compliance Officer Emilio García Silvero and representatives of FIFA’s member associations, the confederations, as well as governance and compliance experts from the world of football, are all participating at the two-day event.