The FIFA Congress, the most-critical organ of football's international governing body, normally meets every two years.

However, since 1998, this gathering of the worldwide football family has taken place annually in an extraordinary meeting. The introduction of annual meetings allows the parliament of football to influence decisions on an ever-growing number of issues.

The Congress makes decisions relating to FIFA's governing statutes and the method by which they are implemented and applied. It also approves the annual report, decides on the acceptance of new national associations and holds elections, most notably for the FIFA presidency.

In the spirit of true democracy, each national association has one vote, regardless of its size or footballing strength.