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VANCOUVER—Set against the stunning backdrop of coastal mountains and Pacific Ocean shorelines, all 211 FIFA member associations will gather for soccer's most consequential discussions as Vancouver plays host to the 76th FIFA Congress this week, a pivotal assembly for FIFA with the World Cup now fewer than 50 days away.
More than 1,600 delegates are expected to converge on the Canadian city, which is slated to host seven matches this summer. This year's FIFA Congress spans a full week of events, kicking off with the Asian Football Confederation congress, followed by a legends exhibition match at the University of British Columbia, a dinner at the BC Place World Cup stadium, and the landmark meeting to deliberate and vote on the future direction of the sport.
Here, Sports Illustrated examines four key topics anticipated to feature on the agenda.
Updating the Global Stand Against Racism
The 76th FIFA Congress arrives two years after the organization launched its "Global Stand Against Racism" campaign, a five-pillar initiative designed to eradicate racism from the sport.
The pillars encompassed strict regulations and penalties, including match forfeits for racial violations and a three-step protocol to handle on-field incidents, alongside educational programs and a players' voice panel, while also advocating for racism to be recognized as a criminal offense in all nations.
Although several measures have been put into practice over the past two years, racial incidents remain widespread across global soccer, whether originating from supporters or players on the field. Within Concacaf, multiple Mexico matches have triggered the three-step process due to homophobic chanting. The procedure has become a routine tool, beginning with a match official pausing play to urge fans and players to cease offensive behavior. Should it persist, the match is first suspended, before ultimately being called off as a last resort.
At the FIFA Congress, the entire Global Stand Against Racism initiative will undergo a comprehensive review, with the possibility of introducing harsher penalties ahead of the 2026 World Cup and beyond, following high-profile incidents involving Real Madrid and Brazil's Vinicius Junior, among others in recent months.
"This is a good moment for football to end these things. In the dressing room, we know what Vinícius told us. It has happened many times in football; not just on the pitch but in the stands," Belgium and Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said in February. "We have to end this now. UEFA will decide what they have to do – the players do not matter in that — but it would be a good message [to act]."
Could Russia's Reintroduction Begin?
It occupies just seven words in FIFA's official circulated agenda, but the "Suspension or expulsion of a Member Association" could prove to be the defining narrative of the week, with three nations—Russia, Pakistan and Congo—all currently barred from competing at both international and club level.
Russia will command the most attention, having been banned since 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war. The country's teams have faced sanctions or bans from FIFA, the International Olympic Committee and most major international sports bodies, though they have gradually been reintegrated into the broader sporting world.
For FIFA, President Gianni Infantino made a surprising statement in February, telling Sky: "We have to [look at reinstating Russia], definitely, because this ban has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred."
In December, FIFA announced that a new Under-15 tournament would be "open to all member associations," potentially paving the way for Russia's return at the youth level. However, no further developments have been disclosed. At the senior level, Russia's men's team has continued to play unsanctioned friendly matches against willing opponents, including Mali, Nicaragua, Peru, Bolivia, Iran and several others.
Unlike other suspended nations, Russia is not banned as a federation. It remains a member of both UEFA and FIFA and is expected to have representation in Vancouver. It is only the nation's teams, rather than its governing body, that have been sidelined.
FIFA would not be the first organization to initiate reinstatement either, with the International Paralympic Committee having permitted Russia to compete under its national flag at the Milan Cortina 2026 Paralympics, and World Aquatics also welcoming Russian athletes back into competition.
Prize Money Increase Among Proposals
Among the various proposals members will vote on is a further boost to prize money for the upcoming men's World Cup.
In December, FIFA confirmed that prize money would be 50% greater than the previous Qatar 2022 edition, committing to a $727 million financial contribution. Now, FIFA has signaled that projected tournament revenues of $11 billion could further inflate that figure, with Infantino noting that the organization's not-for-profit structure requires any surplus financial gains to be channeled back to member associations.
Those potential additional funds could be directed toward teams that have qualified for the 2026 tournament to assist with their North American preparations, as well as all 211 associations for enhanced developmental investment.
Could the FIFA Peace Prize End?
Norway Football Association president Lise Klavness is pushing to scrap the FIFA Peace Prize ahead of representing her nation at Thursday's FIFA Congress. The award, introduced in 2025, was presented to U.S. President Donald Trump at the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, D.C. and has drawn widespread criticism given Trump's track record and U.S. involvement in international conflicts.
Klaveness, who also serves on the UEFA executive committee, told The Athletic that FIFA should maintain "an arm's length distance," from political figures.
FIFA—which unveiled its Peace Prize in the months following the Nobel Peace Prize, an accolade Trump had lobbied for but ultimately did not receive—announced no other nominees and conducted no transparent selection process for the award.
Klaveness, who previously spoke out ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, does not plan to address the Peace Prize or other matters publicly this week, though that leaves open the possibility of other nations aligning with Norway's position.