At its meeting in Tokyo on 19 and 20 December, the Executive Committee confirmed that FIFA will open a simultaneous bidding process for two World Cup tournaments. Interested Associations will be invited to submit applications for either the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, or for both tournaments. For 2018, four of the six Confederations will be eligible to host the tournament. CAF and CONMEBOL are not eligible at they will host the FIFA World Cups 2010 and 2014.

Bid Registration forms will be sent to all Associations in January 2009, and the FIFA Executive Committee will appoint the two hosts at the climax of the bidding procedure in December 2010.

The Protection of minors is a moral obligation
The Executive Committee also re-confirmed their commitment to the protection of minors. The FIFA President believes that it is both an administrative and a moral duty of all its member Associations to protect minors.

A sub-committee of the Players' Status Committee approved new regulations. All minors transfers (players under the age of 18) must now be submitted to the sub-committee. In addition, Academies must also register all their players with the member association of the respective territory.

Great Britain Olympic Football Team
The Executive Committee confirmed that the participation in the 2012 London Olympic Games of a single team representing Great Britain would not affect the existing individual status of the four British football associations. The British associations will be invited to determine whether they wish for such a team to participate, and how it would be composed, with a view to presenting their proposal to the FIFA Executive Committee in March 2009.

Associations

  • Following correspondence from Kuwait's Head of State, FIFA will lift the suspension on a provisional basis until the 2009 FIFA Congress, upon the condition that national legislation is revised to fall in line with the FIFA Statutes.
  • The Executive Committee has agreed to lift the suspension of the Peruvian Football Association.
  • The Executive Committee has also agreed to lift the suspension imposed on the Samoa Football Soccer Federation.

The next meeting will be held in Zürich on Thursday, 19 and Friday, 20 March 2009.