For millions of children and individuals around the world, playing football is a chance to dream big, learn life skills, make friends, exercise and simply have fun. And, whatever level they play at, they all have the right to enjoy the game in a safe environment. As part of its efforts to provide a secure environment for everyone, children in particular, FIFA launched the FIFA Guardians Safeguarding in Football Diploma in January 2020. Designed to strengthen and professionalise safeguarding standards around the world and a key part of the FIFA Guardians programme, the Diploma is a global education programme aimed at nominated safeguarding officers from the 211 FIFA Member Associations. This month saw the launch of a new edition of the Diploma as around 182 FIFA learners, as the participants are known, enrolled for the course. Over the next two years, they will have access to dedicated webinars, moderated forums, interactive workshops and assessment. On completing the course, they will join the first 110 safeguarding officers who last October became the first group to graduate in 2023.

“The FIFA Guardians programme is continuing to grow, in line with our commitment to training individuals involved in football around the world,” said Marie-Laure Lemineur, FIFA Head of Safeguarding & Child Protection. “Through the programme, we educate, inform and empower individuals so that they can make a difference in their respective environments.” She added: “Together with the FIFA Member Associations, we want to make sure that everyone who enjoys playing football, especially the youngest members of the global football family, can do so in a safe environment, and in a culture of respect and understanding.”

The new group of learners represent 128 FIFA Member Associations, including 85 which have nominated learners for the first time. This means that in total 74% of the 211 FIFA Member Associations, plus eight regional associations and all six confederations, have now been represented on the course. The FIFA Guardians Safeguarding in Football Diploma was developed by FIFA and the Open University and is a complete open learning experience available in English, French and Spanish, with plans to extend to Arabic and Portuguese. The programme consists of five courses which are open and freely accessible to any other interested person, from all sports or sectors, who want to learn more about safeguarding in sport.