Addis Ababa has been chosen to host the next gathering of world football governing body’s supreme legislative body, the FIFA Congress.
The announced of the 70th FIFA Congress taking place in Addis Ababa was announced at the end of the 69th Congress which took place in the French capital, Paris.
According to Chief of Staff of the AU Chairperson, the Congress will take place at the Union’s headquarters in May 2020.
Major takeaways from the 69th FIFA Congress
- By acclamation, Gianni Infantino was re-elected the President of FIFA until 2023.
- Approval of the Activity Report and financial statements for 2018, as well as the detailed budget for 2020, which includes USD 810 million allocated to investments in football.
- Announcement that the 70th FIFA Congress will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in May 2020.
“In just over three years, this organization went from being toxic, almost criminal, to being what it should be: an institution that develops football,” said Infantino when addressing the Congress.
“This new FIFA has a mission and a plan for it, which is why the next four years have, in fact, already started: we have laid solid building blocks for the future.”
Addis Ababa’s rising profile for global meetings
Addis Ababa, the seat of African diplomacy – as it hosts the African Union, AU; has in recent times boosted its reputation for hosting big conferences partly due to recent raft of reforms by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Early this year, it was announced that Addis will be hosting the 2020 edition of the World Economic Forum, WEF. The announcement was made following a meeting between Abiy and Prof Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of WEF.
In early May this year, the capital also hosted the World Press Freedom Day activities over three days. PM Abiy was awarded the Houphet Boigny Prize for 2019.
