{{short description|Supreme control body of UEFA}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}} thumb|250px|Arched version of the UEFA logo The '''UEFA Congress''' ({{langx|fr|Congrès de l'UEFA}}, {{langx|de|UEFA-Kongress}}) is the supreme controlling organ of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). UEFA is the administrative body for association football and futsal in Europe, and is one of six continental confederations of world football's governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). UEFA consists of 55 member associations.<ref name="congress">{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/about/how-we-work/congress/ |title=UEFA Congress |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref>
The congresses may be ordinary or extraordinary. Ordinary congresses meet annually, typically between February and May. An extraordinary congress may be convened by the UEFA Executive Committee, or at the written request of one fifth or more of the UEFA member associations, to deal with financial matters and/or matters of particular significance. Each of the 55 members of UEFA has one vote in the congress. The members of UEFA are responsible for electing the UEFA president and the members of the UEFA Executive Committee.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/General/02/56/20/45/2562045_DOWNLOAD.pdf |title=UEFA Statutes |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |format=PDF |date=February 2018 |access-date=12 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130213550/https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/General/02/56/20/45/2562045_DOWNLOAD.pdf |archive-date=30 November 2018 |archive-format=PDF |url-status=live }}</ref>
The most recent edition, the 50th Ordinary UEFA Congress, was held on 12 February 2026 in Brussels, Belgium. The next congress is scheduled to be held on 4 March 2027 in Astana, Kazakhstan.
==History== UEFA was founded on 15 June 1954 in Basel, Switzerland,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0253-0d04188ba1bf-f296164ebb20-1000--happy-60th-birthday-uefa/ |title=Happy 60th birthday, UEFA! |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=14 June 2014 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> and began with 31 members.<ref name="60 years">{{cite web |last=Vieli |first=André |location=Nyon |url=https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/EuroExperience/uefaorg/General/02/22/46/45/2224645_DOWNLOAD.pdf |title=UEFA: 60 years at the heart of football |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |format=PDF |page=169 |year=2014 |access-date=13 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207025905/https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/EuroExperience/uefaorg/General/02/22/46/45/2224645_DOWNLOAD.pdf |archive-date=7 February 2019 |archive-format=PDF |url-status=live }}</ref> The first congress was held the following year, on 2 March 1955 in Vienna, Austria. Until 1968, the meetings were known as general assemblies.<ref name="60 years"/> The first extraordinary congress was held on 11 December 1959 in Paris, France. The most recent extraordinary congress was held on 20 September 2017 in Zurich, the 13th to take place. The ordinary congress was initially held annually up until 1958, when the delegates decided to amend the UEFA Statutes so the congress would follow a biennial schedule. Starting in 2003, the congress returned to an annual meeting, which was decided at the congress in 2002, mainly to facilitate the financial management of UEFA.<ref name="60 years"/> On three occasions, two congress—an ordinary and extraordinary—have been held in the same year (in 1968, 2007 and 2017), while 2016 was the only year to see three congresses take place, due to two extraordinary meetings being held. The congress is typically held on a single day, though four congresses were held over two consecutive days: in 2000, 2004, 2007 and 2009.
All congresses have been held within a UEFA member association, except for the 4th Extraordinary UEFA Congress, which took place in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Italy has hosted both the most overall and ordinary congresses with seven, all taking placing in Rome, of which five were ordinary and two extraordinary. Switzerland has hosted the most extraordinary congresses with five, though Rome is tied with Geneva and Zurich for the most extraordinary congresses by city with two. Four cities have held both an ordinary and extraordinary congress: Helsinki, London, Paris and Rome. As of 2026, the 50 ordinary congresses have been held in 33 cities, while the 13 extraordinary congresses have been held in 10 cities, for a total of 63 congresses in 38 cities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/Congress/01/91/05/84/1910584_DOWNLOAD.pdf |title=UEFA Congress |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |format=PDF |access-date=12 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515090919/https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/Congress/01/91/05/84/1910584_DOWNLOAD.pdf |archive-date=15 May 2013 |archive-format=PDF |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Responsibilities== The following matters are within the power of the UEFA Congress:<ref name="congress"/>
*receipt and consideration of the annual report, financial report and the auditors' report *approval of the annual accounts and budget *election of the UEFA president *election of UEFA Executive Committee members *ratification of the Executive Committee members elected by the European Club Association and European Leagues *election of the European members of the FIFA Council *election of the auditing body *amendments to the UEFA Statutes *addition or removal of a member association *decisions on the lifting or continuation of the suspension of a member association, UEFA Executive Committee member or a member of another body *bestowal of honorary presidency or membership
==List of congresses== {{legend|#FBEC5D|This colour background and the * symbol indicate that the congress elected the UEFA president.}}
===Ordinary=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Number ! Date(s) ! City |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 1 (I) * | 2 March 1955 | {{fbaicon|Austria}} Vienna |- | 2 (II) | 8 June 1956 | {{fbaicon|Portugal}} Lisbon |- | 3 (III) | 28 June 1957 | {{fbaicon|Denmark}} Copenhagen |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 4 (IV) * | 4 June 1958 | {{fbaicon|Sweden}} Stockholm |- | 5 (V) | 21 August 1960 | {{fbaicon|Italy}} Rome |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 6 (VI) * | 17 April 1962 | {{fbaicon|Bulgaria|1946}} Sofia |- | 7 (VII) | 17 June 1964 | {{fbaicon|Spain|1945}} Madrid |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 8 (VIII) * | 6 July 1966 | {{fbaicon|England}} London |- | 9 (IX) | 7 June 1968 | {{fbaicon|Italy}} Rome |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 10 (X) * | 8 May 1970 | {{fbaicon|Yugoslavia}} Dubrovnik |- | 11 (XI) | 7 June 1972 | {{fbaicon|Austria}} Vienna |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 12 (XII) * | 22 May 1974 | {{fbaicon|Scotland}} Edinburgh |- | 13 (XIII) | 15 June 1976 | {{fbaicon|Sweden}} Stockholm |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 14 (XIV) * | 22 April 1978 | {{fbaicon|Turkey}} Istanbul |- | 15 (XV) | 21 June 1980 | {{fbaicon|Italy}} Rome |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 16 (XVI) * | 28 April 1982 | {{fbaicon|East Germany}} Dresden |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 17 (XVII) * | 26 June 1984 | {{fbaicon|France|1974}} Paris |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 18 (XVIII) * | 24 April 1986 | {{fbaicon|Portugal}} Cascais |- | 19 (XIX) | 24 June 1988 | {{fbaicon|West Germany}} Munich |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 20 (XX) * | 19 April 1990 | {{fbaicon|Malta}} St. Julian's<ref>{{cite magazine |date=March 1990 |number=130 |title=Editorial |magazine=Bulletin officiel de l'UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |quote=Representatives of the mass media who wish to attend the 20th Ordinary Congress of the European Football Union on April 19, 1990, at the Hilton International Hotel in Malta (opening 9.30 hours)...}}</ref> |- | 21 (XXI) | 25 June 1992 | {{fbaicon|Sweden}} Gothenburg |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 22 (XXII) * | 28 April 1994 | {{fbaicon|Austria}} Vienna |- | 23 (XXIII) | 29 June 1996 | {{fbaicon|England}} London |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 24 (XXIV) * | 30 April 1998 | {{fbaicon|Republic of Ireland}} Dublin |- | 25 (XXV) | 30 June – 1 July 2000 | {{fbaicon|Luxembourg}} Luxembourg City<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/geoff-thompson-in-running-for-uefa-executive/ |title=Geoff Thompson in running for UEFA Executive |work=SportBusiness |year=2000 |access-date=12 May 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512221924/https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/geoff-thompson-in-running-for-uefa-executive/ |archive-date=12 May 2020 |quote=The elections will take place at the XXV UEFA Congress, to be held at Alvissa Parc Hotel in Luxembourg on June 30th.}}</ref> |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 26 (XXVI) * | 25 April 2002 | {{fbaicon|Sweden}} Stockholm |- | 27 (XXVII) | 27 March 2003 | {{fbaicon|Italy}} Rome |- | 28 (XXVIII) | 22–23 April 2004 | {{fbaicon|Cyprus|1960}} Limassol |- | 29 (XXIX) | 21 April 2005 | {{fbaicon|Estonia}} Tallinn |- | 30 (XXX) | 23 March 2006 | {{fbaicon|Hungary}} Budapest |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 31 (XXXI) * | 25–26 January 2007 | {{fbaicon|Germany}} Düsseldorf |- | 32 (XXXII) | 31 January 2008 | {{fbaicon|Croatia}} Zagreb |- | 33 (XXXIII) | 25–26 March 2009 | {{fbaicon|Denmark}} Copenhagen |- | 34 (XXXIV) | 25 March 2010 | {{fbaicon|Israel}} Tel Aviv |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 35 (XXXV) * | 22 March 2011 | {{fbaicon|France|1974}} Paris |- | 36 (XXXVI) | 22 March 2012 | {{fbaicon|Turkey}} Istanbul |- | 37 (XXXVII) | 24 May 2013 | {{fbaicon|England}} London |- | 38 (XXXVIII) | 27 March 2014 | {{fbaicon|Kazakhstan}} Astana<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0213-0f8a49a49bbc-ed11e056c602-1000--uefa-congress-in-kazakhstan/ |title=UEFA Congress in Kazakhstan |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=26 March 2014 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 39 (XXXIX) * | 24 March 2015 | {{fbaicon|Austria}} Vienna<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/021d-0f8a83aabc38-da77700c0d14-1000--candidates-for-election-at-xxxix-ordinary-uefa-congress/ |title=Candidates for election at XXXIX Ordinary UEFA Congress |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=26 January 2015 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> |- | 40 (XL) | 3 May 2016 | {{fbaicon|Hungary}} Budapest<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/022c-0f8e2801fbb3-bcfd1d5669fd-1000--40th-ordinary-uefa-congress-in-budapest/ |title=40th Ordinary UEFA Congress in Budapest |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=8 April 2016 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> |- | 41 (XLI) | 5 April 2017 | {{fbaicon|Finland}} Helsinki<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0237-0f8e4d1be165-3ef4dd5f57d8-1000--41st-ordinary-uefa-congress-in-helsinki/ |title=41st Ordinary UEFA Congress in Helsinki |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=6 March 2017 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> |- | 42 (XLII) | 26 February 2018 | {{fbaicon|Slovakia}} Bratislava<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0241-0f8e5c223e9d-7c178a69327d-1000--42nd-ordinary-uefa-congress-in-bratislava/ |title=42nd Ordinary UEFA Congress in Bratislava |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=26 January 2018 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 43 (XLIII) * | 7 February 2019 | {{fbaicon|Italy}} Rome<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/024d-0f8e66fdfcba-cedc36f8ec8b-1000--43rd-ordinary-uefa-congress-in-rome/ |title=43rd Ordinary UEFA Congress in Rome |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=10 January 2019 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> |- | 44 (XLIV) | 3 March 2020 | {{fbaicon|Netherlands}} Amsterdam<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/025a-0f8e74d6a3ac-9be065909bd6-1000--44th-ordinary-uefa-congress-in-amsterdam/ |title=44th Ordinary UEFA Congress in Amsterdam |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=4 February 2020 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> |- | 45 (XLV) | 20 April 2021{{refn|group=note|The 45th Ordinary UEFA Congress, originally scheduled for 2 March 2021 in Minsk, Belarus,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/025b-0f8e7603fa07-42b973f6b17b-1000--uefa-congress-meets-in-amsterdam/ |title=UEFA Congress meets in Amsterdam |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=3 March 2020 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> was later moved to Switzerland due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0261-107376966207-6a2ea096698b-1000/ |title=Two triple-headers approved for 2021 March and September national team windows |work=UEFA |date=24 September 2020 |access-date=24 September 2020}}</ref> and delayed until 20 April 2021.<ref name="2021 Congress"/>}} | {{fbaicon|Switzerland}} Montreux<ref name="2021 Congress">{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0264-11008e81d161-577edb45950b-1000/ |title=Tirana to host first UEFA Europa Conference League Final |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=3 December 2020 |access-date=3 December 2020}}</ref> |- | 46 (XLVI) | 11 May 2022 | {{fbaicon|Austria}} Vienna<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0268-1215f6bee879-def81eca96d8-1000/ |title=UEFA Congress condemns breakaway plans |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=20 April 2021 |access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref> |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 47 (XLVII) * | 5 April 2023 | {{fbaicon|POR}} Lisbon<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0275-151c90ada680-6a76591a389a-1000/ |title=UEFA EURO 2024 match schedule approved |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=10 May 2022 |access-date=10 May 2022}}</ref> |- | 48 (XLVIII) | 8 February 2024 | {{fbaicon|FRA}} Paris<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0285-191247fad23e-824e6cf31d48-1000/ |title=Warsaw to host 2024 UEFA Super Cup |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=26 September 2023 |access-date=13 October 2023}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|The 48th Ordinary UEFA Congress, originally to be held in Madrid, Spain,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0280-17b440603ec7-7ea762fe8c44-1000/ |title=Aleksander Čeferin re-elected UEFA President by acclamation |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=5 April 2023 |access-date=5 April 2023}}</ref> was later relocated to Paris.}} |- | 49 (XLIX) | 3 April 2025 | {{fbaicon|SRB}} Belgrade<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/028a-1a200a82f2dd-6e9595139108-1000/ |title=UEFA Strategy 2024–30 "United for Success" approved |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=7 February 2024 |access-date=7 February 2024}}</ref> |- | 50 (L) | 12 February 2026 | {{fbaicon|BEL}} Brussels<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0298-1d6ed174016d-e3f73d3db859-1000/ |title=49th Ordinary UEFA Congress concludes in Belgrade |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=3 April 2025 |access-date=3 April 2025}}</ref> |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" |51 (LI) * | 4 March 2027 | {{fbaicon|KAZ}} Astana<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/02a2-1fe86aba0654-01cb38b74748-1000/ |title=50th Ordinary UEFA Congress concludes in Brussels |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=12 February 2026 |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref> |}
===Extraordinary=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Number ! Date ! City |- | 1 (I) | 11 December 1959 | {{fbaicon|France}} Paris |- | 2 (II) | 27 September 1961 | {{fbaicon|England}} London |- | 3 (III) | 7 June 1968 | {{fbaicon|Italy}} Rome |- | 4 (IV) | 16 June 1971 | {{flagicon|Monaco}} Monte Carlo<ref>{{cite magazine |date=June 1971 |number=55 |title=Circular letters |magazine=Bulletin officiel de l'UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |quote=4th Extraordinary Congress of UEFA on June 16th, 1971, in Monte Carlo.}}</ref> |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 5 (V) * | 15 March 1973 | {{fbaicon|Italy}} Rome |- | 6 (VI) | 19 September 1991 | {{fbaicon|Switzerland}} Montreux |- | 7 (VII) | 17 June 1993 | {{fbaicon|Switzerland}} Geneva |- | 8 (VIII) | 24 September 1997 | {{fbaicon|Finland}} Helsinki |- | 9 (IX) | 11 October 2001 | {{fbaicon|Czech Republic}} Prague |- | 10 (X) | 28 May 2007 | {{fbaicon|Switzerland}} Zurich |- | 11 (XI) | 25 February 2016 | {{fbaicon|Switzerland}} Zurich<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/022a-0f8e23ae9fda-fb314be69339-1000--11th-extraordinary-uefa-congress-in-zurich/ |title=11th Extraordinary UEFA Congress in Zurich |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=10 February 2016 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> |- | style="background:#FBEC5D" | 12 (XII) * | 14 September 2016 | {{fbaicon|Greece}} Athens<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0230-0f8e30da7507-591200ec75b3-1000--president-to-be-elected-at-12th-extraordinary-uefa-congress/ |title=President to be elected at 12th Extraordinary UEFA Congress in Athens |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=17 August 2016 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> |- | 13 (XIII) | 20 September 2017 | {{fbaicon|Switzerland}} Geneva<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/023c-0f8e5677f2ed-3daa4228bd63-1000--13th-extraordinary-uefa-congress-in-geneva/ |title=13th Extraordinary UEFA Congress in Geneva |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=31 August 2017 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> |}
==See also== * List of presidents of UEFA * FIFA Congress
==Notes== {{reflist|group=note}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|https://www.uefa.com/about/how-we-work/congress|name=UEFA Congress – Official website}}
Congress Category:International conferences Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1955