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Two Coach Kyle articles in as many weeks? No need to pinch yourself; this is real. Consider it a little taste of what you can expect during the offseason! I have significantly fewer coaching updates for you this time, but I did just coach three hours of open play a few days ago, and let me tell you, I missed this during the coaching break. There’s something about getting hit repeatedly by size four soccer balls and never hearing “Sorry!” or “Are you okay?” that really warms my heart.

The girls know I’m fine; they’re just annoyed that I interrupted them. They’re really starting to love the game; they’ve fallen into my trap! To be honest, they didn’t take too much convincing, just a little energy and a few nudges to focus. They’re still on the fence about being Loons fans, but more than one of them have told me that they Googled my articles to show their families, babysitters, or teachers, so they’re doing their part in the pyramid scheme. What a great group.

Seeing as we’ve got an international break on our hands, I felt like now would be the perfect time for me to publicly nerd out on the governing bodies of the international game. From FIFA to Concacaf (don’t worry, I’ll tell you what that means), there is a TON of administrative work that goes into making the beautiful game function, and I find that it’s helpful to know who does what and why it matters. So, I’ve gone through each of the confederations to bring you a few introductory fun facts and get you acquainted. I know, quite kind of me, right? Enjoy!

FIFA: The Mothership

We’re starting from the very top of the pyramid: FIFA. The Federation Internationale de Football Association has been the world’s governing body for soccer, with an aim to develop the sport across the globe, since its founding in 1904. That means striving to make the game inclusive, available, and truly alive in every corner of the world. The methods through which they do this vary from senior-level international tournaments—like the World Cup—to youth initiatives designed to drive engagement and participation at young ages.

As I mentioned, the World Cup is FIFA’s crown jewel. Arguably the biggest athletic tournament in the world—regardless of sport—the FIFA World Cup has inspired people since the first men’s tournament back in 1930, and it was made complete with the introduction of the Women’s World Cup in 1991.

Numbering more than 200 member nations, FIFA is among the world’s largest international associations. With this incredible buy-in and size comes a lot of potential, but it also means that the smaller, day-to-day soccer operations within each nation often can’t be run or supervised by FIFA directly. So, six regional confederations were formed to organize their own slice of the world, directly governing the national soccer associations of their respective areas to help FIFA extend its reach more effectively.

I could talk about different bits and bobs about FIFA for several pages, but I’ll spare you the details today. I’ll be focusing on the men’s side of the game in today’s article, but never fear, Soccer School will be back to delve deeper into the women’s confederations as well. Let’s move on to the regional confederations!

Asian Football Confederation (AFC)

The first stop on our list is on the other side of the globe. Founded in 1954, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is made up of 47 nations across the Asian continent—and Australia. Rather than list all 47 for you, let’s take a quick look at the history of the region as a whole.

Since 1956, the AFC has organized the Asian Cup—the largest regional tournament in Asia—every four years. The tournament has evolved since it was first played, but the current structure sees 24 teams compete in a round-robin group stage, followed by a knockout tournament. Nine different teams have lifted the trophy, with the Blue Samurai of Japan claiming the most titles so far (4). The current holders are 2023’s host nation, Qatar, and they’ll remain on top of the confederation until the next iteration kicks off in Saudi Arabia in 2027.

Nations like South Korea, Iran, and Saudi Arabia round out the list of the region’s most historically successful bunch, boasting superstar players like Son Heung-min, Mehdi Taremi, and Salem Aldawsari (if you don’t know the last one, look up the highlights from Saudi Arabia’s win over Argentina in the 2022 World Cup).

Confederation of African Football (CAF)

Next up in alphabetical order, we’re journeying the vast continent of Africa, site of the magical 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has more than 50 affiliated nations, broken up into five sub-federations for administrative purposes. I’m not going to dive into the structure or function of the sub-federations, but I wanted to dangle that carrot in front of you curious readers to give you something to do later. Enjoy!

CAF was formed in 1957 when representatives from Egypt, Algeria, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and South Africa met in a hotel in Khartoum, Sudan. Since then, most of the continent has joined, and they’ve put together one of the world’s most exciting regional tournaments: the Africa Cup of Nations.

This biannual tournament now features 24 teams, in a format that mirrors that of the Asian Cup. A total of 15 different nations have lifted the trophy, with Egypt leading the way with seven titles. It has the most parity of any international tournament by far and is known for its unique styles of play. There is a distinct flair, levity, and joy that comes with most AFCON matches that is unlike anything else I have ever watched, and I can’t recommend it more. Make sure you tune in to the 2025 edition in Morocco!

While the teams at the top of African soccer tend to cycle semi-frequently, the historical giants of Nigeria, Cameroon, Algeria, Ghana, Morocco, and Ivory Coast are almost always in the mix. Many of the world’s best players come from CAF nations, including Victor Osimhen (Nigeria), Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Sadio Mane (Senegal), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), and Riyad Mahrez (Algeria), among others.

Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf)

This one’s a mouthful. I mean, surely there was a more concise way to describe this region, right? Concacaf is the fourth-largest federation, with 41 members, and this one hits much closer to home. We’ve finally come to the federation that includes the good ‘ol US of A. Woohoo!

Since forming in 1961 following the merger of the North American and Central American confederations, Concacaf has given a slew of smaller nations a chance to compete and raise the level of the game in our neck of the woods. The Gold Cup has served as our own continental competition since 1991, giving 16 teams a chance for glory every two years.

The most successful team in the region is Mexico with nine titles, followed by the USA with seven. Canada is the only other nation to have claimed the trophy (back in 2000), breaking up what was otherwise a complete duopoly. Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica, and Panama stand out as some of the best of the rest, having made World Cup appearances and performing admirably in most Gold Cups. There are several Concacaf stars kicking around world football at the moment, including Alphonso Davies (Canada), Christian Pulisic (USA), Keylor Navas (Costa Rica), and Edson Álvarez (Mexico).

South American Football Federation (CONMEBOL)

It’s time to head south to the oldest confederation of the six: CONMEBOL. I don’t know why the abbreviation is what it is; that’s going to have to be another nugget for you to track down sometime. The South American Football Federation has been around since 1916, and despite being the smallest confederation (just 10 members), it has proven to be among the world’s most successful collections of national teams. Soccer is almost like a religion down there, and it shows in the passion that they bring to the field.

Every two to four years, CONMEBOL organizes the oldest soccer competition in international soccer: the Copa América.​​ This historic competition pits 16 teams against one another, with guests invited from other federations to help fill out the bracket. It’s been around for over 108 years and has been played 48 times, with current champions Argentina coming out as the winners a record 16 times. Uruguay is just behind them with 15 titles, followed by Brazil with nine.

While the aforementioned three nations are the most successful in confederation history, the likes of Colombia, Chile, and Paraguay have had their days as well. Serious superstars have come out of South America, including who many consider to be three of the best players of all time: Lionel Messi (Argentina), Diego Maradona (Argentina), and the legendary Pele (Brazil). If I were to list all of the current stars from this continent, you’d never finish reading this article.

Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)

Second to last, we’re visiting a whole bunch of islands. The Oceania Football Confederation is made up of just 11 nations, including our very own Michael Boxall’s homeland of New Zealand. It’s the youngest of the confederations, having been founded in 1966, and it hosts the OFC Nations Cup every four years.

New Zealand have been the most successful team, winning six titles. Despite leaving the confederation in 2006, Australia remains the second-most successful team with four titles. Tahiti’s 2012 triumph is the lone exception to the New Zealand and Australia duopoly, and while some talented players have come out of this region, the national teams themselves have rarely come together to make very much noise on a global stage.

Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)

Ah, here we are, Europe. The Union of European Football Associations is perhaps the best known of the confederations, as it helps to govern the most popular club soccer tournaments in the world. Founded in 1954 in Basel, Switzerland, UEFA oversees 55 national associations, making it the largest of the bunch. They have run the aptly named European Championship every four years since 1960, and it has become the second-most watched international tournament in the world—after the World Cup, of course.

Ten countries have lifted the trophy, but as a reminder, England never has. Current champions Spain have the most titles (4), followed by the Germans (3). Italy and France are the only other two nations to claim the regional title more than once, while six other nations have climbed the summit a single time. Many of the world’s most well-known players hail from UEFA nations, including Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Harry Kane (England), Kylian Mbappe (France), Erling Haaland (Norway), and so many more.

There are unique nuances to the structure and function of each confederation, but as far as overviews go, I must say, that wasn’t the worst. They get their fingers into club soccer as well, organizing champions leagues and the like, but that’s a lesson for another day. We haven’t even touched on World Cup Qualifiers or Nations Leagues! For now, I have to sign off and finish doing player evaluations for the team I coach. I always hate rating players on a numerical scale, but if the club demands it, who am I to resist? I’m Coach Kyle, dang it, and maybe it’s about time I fought back.