FIFA Public Relations: The Complete Communications Playbook

Edited on Jul 1, 2026.

For the current FIFA communications playbook, see: The FIFA Communications Playbook.

FIFA is running the biggest sporting event on earth in South Africa this month.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup — 32 teams, 64 matches, 10 stadiums, billions of viewers across the tournament cycle — is the largest communications event in international sport. FIFA's communications operation sits at the top of a pyramid that includes 208 member associations, six confederations, and a global sponsor field that at this cycle includes Adidas, Coca-Cola, Hyundai, Sony, Emirates, Visa, plus tournament sponsors Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser), McDonald's, MTN, Yingli, Continental, Castrol, Mahindra Satyam, and Seara.

Sepp Blatter has held the FIFA presidency since 1998 and is currently in his second full term after re-election in 2007. Jérôme Valcke serves as Secretary General.

The stories driving coverage this cycle

Refereeing controversies. The past week has produced two of the most-discussed refereeing decisions in modern World Cup history: Frank Lampard's clearly-over-the-line goal disallowed against Germany on June 27, and Carlos Tevez's offside goal against Mexico the same day. FIFA has faced sustained pressure to revisit goal-line technology and video review — positions the organization has resisted through recent tournament cycles.

The Nike "Write the Future" ambush campaign. Nike — not a FIFA sponsor — is running one of the sharpest ambush marketing campaigns in tournament history against Adidas's official-ball partnership. The campaign film, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, features Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, and Franck Ribéry. It is the case study every sponsor rights-holder now studies for how a non-sponsor can dominate a tournament conversation.

The vuvuzela debate. The instrument has dominated broadcast complaints. FIFA has declined to restrict it. The organization's position — that vuvuzelas are part of South African football culture — has held.

FIFA's communications structure

The FIFA press operation coordinates across the President's office, the Secretary General, the Director of Communications, department leads for refereeing, women's football, youth, and integrity, the 208 member associations, the six confederations, and the sponsor liaison desk. The Ethics Committee — new in this cycle — operates as a separate voice on integrity matters.

Broadcaster relations covers rights partners across 200-plus territories. The commercial engine — Tier-1 Partners (Adidas since 1970, Coca-Cola since 1978, Hyundai, Sony, Emirates, Visa since 2007) plus 2010 tournament sponsors — is the largest in international sport outside the NFL.

This is the working reference on FIFA's 2010-cycle communications operation. Coverage of subsequent FIFA developments will be published in separate posts.