The Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA, originally styled ConIFA) is the international governing body for association football teams that are not affiliated with FIFA.
Competitions
Men's competitions CONIFA Men's World Football Cup CONIFA African Football Cup CONIFA Asian Football Cup CONIFA European Football Cup CONIFA No Limits European Championship CONIFA South American Football Cup
Women's competition CONIFA Women's World Football Cup
Futsal competition CONIFA No Limits Mediterranean Futsal Cup
Former (or one-off) competitions Givova Trophy
Current title holders
CompetitionYearChampionsTitleRunners-upNext editionWorld ChampionshipsCONIFA Men's World Football CupCONIFA Women's World Football Cup20242027 28 May - 5 JuneMen's Continental ChampionshipsCONIFA African Football Cup20222026 19-24 OctoberCONIFA Asian Football Cup2025CONIFA European Football Cup2026TBDCONIFA South American Football Cup2022 Maule Sur MapucheTBDWomen's Continental ChampionshipsCONIFA African Women's Football Cup2026 19-24 OctoberCONIFA European Women's Football Cup2027 May-JuneNo Limits ChampionshipsCONIFA No Limits European Championship2019TBDCONIFA No Limits Mediterranean Futsal Cup2021TBD
Women's football All members of CONIFA are encouraged to invest in women's football in their communities, and to create female national selections to play and compete against other CONIFA members.
CONIFA's first ever official women's football match took place on 10 November 2018 in Northern Cyprus, with Sápmi ladies beating their Northern Cyprus hosts 4–0 in the Women's Friendship Cup. CONIFA announced their first Women's World Football Cup on 31 January 2021, to be hosted by Székely Land between 23 and 30 June 2021 and involve 6 teams.
Futsal Tournament The first futsal Tournament was the 2021 CONIFA No Limits Mediterranean Futsal Cup which was held in Italy and consisted of disabled futsal teams near the Mediterranean Sea.
Members Types of members CONIFA expressly uses the term "members" rather than "countries" or "states". A football association may be eligible to apply for membership of CONIFA if it, or the entity (ethnic or linguistic minority, indigenous group, cultural organization, territory) it represents, is not a member of FIFA and satisfies one or more of the following criteria: The football association is a member of one of the six continental confederations of FIFA, which are: AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC, UEFA. The entity represented by the football association is a member of the International Olympic Committee. The entity represented by the football association is a member of one of the member federations of Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF). The entity represented by the football association is in possession of an ISO 3166-1 country code. The entity represented by the football association is a de facto independent territory. A territory is considered de facto independent if it meets all of the following criteria: (a) a well-defined territory; (b) a permanent population; (c) an autonomous government, and (d) diplomatic recognition by at least one of the member states of the United Nations. The entity represented by the football association is included on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories. The entity represented by the football association is included in the directory of countries and territories of the Travelers' Century Club. The entity represented by the football association is a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and/or the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN). The entity represented by the football association is a minority included in the World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples, maintained and published by Minority Rights Group International. The entity represented by the football association is a linguistic minority, the language of which is included on the list of ISO 639-2 codes. The entity represented by the Football Association is a territory or people defined by an ethnic, regional or historical cultural identity and which has formed through ethnical, historical and/or regional specializations.
List of members Current members As of April 2026:
+ Kabylie Ni-Wakati Sports FC
+ Girl Power Organization (Afghanistan) Hmong FF Kashmir Khalistan Panjab Palestinian Refugee Football Initiative Rojava
+ Agro Pontino Canton Ticino Cumann Sacair Gaeilge
+ National Association of Mexican Football Cascadia Indigenous Sport Council of Alberta
+ Hawaiʻi
+ Aymara São Paulo F.A.D.^^
Former members
+ Barotseland Katanga Lesotho Yoruba
+ Karen Lezghian Pakistan Football Association^ Ryūkyū
+ Cilento Délvidék Elba Parishes of Jersey
+ Kiskeya Kuskatan
+ Mariya
+ Armenian Argentine community Rapa Nui Guna people Maule Sur
^^ The Girl Power Organisation and the Pakistan Football Association are breakaway football associations in Afghanistan and Pakistan respectively. Both of those countries also have state-backed football associations—the Afghanistan Football Federation and the Pakistan Football Federation—which are members of FIFA.
^^ The Federação Alternativa de Desporto de Estado de São Paulo (or São Paulo F.A.D.) is an independent regional football association dedicated to celebrating the culture and the people of the state of São Paulo. The state also has an official football association, the Federação Paulista de Futebol, which is affiliated with the Brazilian Football Confederation, which in turn is a member of FIFA.
Leadership President President of CONIFA No. Name Country of origin Took office Left office1 Per-Anders Blind 7 June 2013 Incumbent
Vice-Presidents Vice-Presidents of CONIFA No. Name Country of origin Took office Left office1 Malcolm Blackburn 2014 20162 Kristof Wenczel 2015 Incumbent 3 Dimitri Pagave 2016 Incumbent
General Secretaries General Secretaries of CONIFA No. Name Country of origin Took office Left office1 Sascha Düerkop 7 June 2013 30 April 20202 Jason Heaton England 30 April 2020 2 August 2021 3 Piotr Podlewski Poland 2 August 2021 7 August 2022 4 Jeroen Zandberg Netherlands 7 August 2022 Incumbent
African Presidents African Presidents of CONIFA No. Name Country of origin Took office Left office1 Masoud Attai 7 June 2013 2017 2 Justin Walley 2017 20203 Christian Lubasi Luzongo Kalalaluka 2020 20224 Ngala Maimo Wajiri 2022 Incumbent
Asian Presidents Asian Presidents of CONIFA No. Name Country of origin Took office Left office1 Tariq Abdulrahman 7 June 2013 20172 Jens Jockel 2017 20203 Motoko Jitsukawa 2020 2022 4 Ruby-Ann Kagaoan 2022 Incumbent
European President European President of CONIFA No. Name Country of origin Took office Left office1 Alberto Rischio 7 June 2013 Incumbent
Latin American Presidents Latin American Presidents of CONIFA No. Name Country of origin Took office Left office1 Jens Jockel 2013 2017 2 Zam Gutierrez 2017 2019 3 Diego Bartolotta 2019 Incumbent
Northern America and the Caribbean Presidents Northern America and the Caribbean Presidents of CONIFA No. Name Country of origin Took office Left office1 Mark Dieler 2013 2017 2 Noah Wheelock 2017 20203 Aaron Johnsen 2020 20244 Shaun Harris 2024 20255 Jaclyn Guenette 2025 Incumbent
Oceanian Presidents Oceanian Presidents of CONIFA No. Name Country of origin Took office Left office1 Charles Reklai Mitchell 2014 20172 Ben Schultz 2017 Incumbent
Directors of Women’s Football Directors of Women's Football No. Name Country of origin Took office Left office – Cassie Childers 6 September 2017 20191 Kelly Lindsey February 2019 28 February 2020 2 Håkan Kuorak 28 February 2020 20223 Alary Dalton 2022 2024 4 Norma Alvares Aguilera 2024 Incumbent
See also N.F.-Board, the predecessor of non-FIFA football Non-FIFA international football World Unity Football Alliance – several CONIFA members held membership of WUFA
References
External links