The 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup was everything we had all hoped for, and more. Not only was it the best-ever edition of the tournament, but it was also one that definitively proved football’s unifying power as fans from all over the world rubbed shoulders in and around one city, sharing the hope, passion and joy of football with peace and harmony. They witnessed incredible drama as well as some surprise results, and many did so while enjoying the rich culture of Qatar and the Arab world for the very first time.

Further historic chapters will be written into football’s history books in 2023 when Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand welcome the world for the biggest-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup, with 32 teams participating for the very first time. Indeed, it is FIFA’s duty to ensure not only that global tournaments engage with girls and boys, women and men from all corners of the world, but also that football continues to provide opportunities to everyone, wherever and whenever they are born.

As the global governing body we must play our part in ensuring a level playing field for all our members. The launch of FIFA Forward 3.0 means that we can do so by providing support for development projects, hand-in-hand with the six Confederations and the 211 FIFA Member Associations. Over this four-year cycle, there will be an increase in investment in Forward of 29% compared to the previous period, and that means that solidarity payments have now increased by a factor of seven in the space of just seven years. It is important to bear in mind that our revenues did not multiply by a factor of seven in that time; this increased investment is a result of the new FIFA being efficient, well governed and fit for purpose.