At the end of December 2013, the Independent Governance Committee (IGC) under the leadership of Prof. Mark Pieth formally completed its task of overseeing the FIFA reform process after more than two years of work.

During this time, the IGC, a group consisting of renowned governance experts and football stakeholders, submitted concrete recommendations for reforms relating to greater transparency, financial controls, accountability and ethical conduct. Several of the IGC’s proposals have been implemented and have led to first tangible results; others will be voted on at the next Congress in 2014.

FIFA’s challenge is to adapt its governance structure to its economic growth and its political and social significance. While several steps have been taken on an administrational level to upgrade operational structures and processes, FIFA continued to be publicly criticised for its overall lack of good governance and transparency.