CONIFA

What CONIFA does

CONIFA (Confederation of Independent Football Associations) is a Sweden-registered non-profit football federation founded in 2013 and headquartered in Piteå. It serves as the only global governing body for football associations that are not members of FIFA, including de-facto nations, partially-recognized states, regions, ethnic minorities, and sports-isolated territories. Its member base comprises 30+ associations across six continents, collectively representing more than 300 million people, with examples ranging from Kabylia and Darfur United to Ellan Vannin, Cascadia, and Karpatalya. The organization is entirely volunteer-run, including the Global President position, with operational leadership distributed through continental presidents for Africa, Asia, Europe, North America & Caribbean, Oceania, and South America. Key executives include Global President Per-Anders Blind and General Secretary Jeroen Zandberg (since August 2022).

CONIFA's core product is a portfolio of international football tournaments rather than a traditional software or services offering. Flagship events include the World Football Cup (held since 2014), continental championships (European Football Cup, Asia Cup, Africa Football Cup launched in 2022, North America Football Cup), and the Women World Football Cup launched in 2022. Specialized programs include CONIFA No Limits for disability-inclusive football and the CONIFA Edu-Business Summit for member development. Distribution is handled through third-party technology partners: DRIBL for tournament scheduling and results, SportAll for free streaming via the CONIFATV platform, and MyCujoo for broadcasting. No proprietary technology systems are operated by the federation itself.

Revenue is generated through three streams: recurring membership fees paid by affiliated football associations, transactional tournament revenue (ticketing, merchandise, and event-level sponsorship), and commercial partnerships with sponsors such as Paddy Power (2018 World Football Cup title sponsor), Sportsbet.io (2019 European Football Cup), Eventim (ticketing), and Bateman's Sports (merchandise retail). Distribution partners include Young Pioneer Tours for travel logistics and Schiermanner Outfitters for equipment. The federation markets through its website, social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn), and earned media coverage from major outlets including the BBC, The Guardian, New York Times, CNN, Le Monde, and AP.

Name

CONIFA

Legal name

CONIFA (Confederation of Independent Football Associations)

Website

https://conifa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CONIFA is a Sweden-registered non-profit football federation for associations outside FIFA, organizing international tournaments for 30+ member associations representing 300M+ people across six continents through volunteer-run operations and sponsorship-funded events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Federation Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Other Spectator Sports (711219)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional/Continental Confederations & Associations (MPAKAFAD)

Keywords

• Non-FIFA football
• Football federation services
• International football tournaments
• Continental football championships
• Amateur football associations

Headquarters

HQ city

Piteå

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: CONIFA operates as a non-profit charity registered in Sweden, generating revenue through membership fees from affiliated football associations. Members must pay membership fees to participate in tournaments.
2. Tournament Revenue: Revenue generated from hosting World Football Cups, Continental Championships, and other tournaments including ticket sales, merchandise, and sponsorship deals with partners like Paddy Power and Sportsbet.io.
3. Sponsorship and Partnerships: Commercial partnerships and sponsorship agreements with companies like Paddy Power (title sponsor), Sportsbet.io, Bateman's Sports, and others provide revenue through branding opportunities and marketing partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CONIFA serves as the global football federation for non-FIFA associations, organizing international and continental football tournaments including the World Football Cup, European Football Cup, Asia Cup, Africa Football Cup, North America Football Cup, and the Women World Football Cup. It provides membership services to 30+ national, regional, and minority football associations across six continents, enabling them to compete internationally and gain cultural recognition through football. Supporting services include the CONIFA TV streaming platform, the No Limits disability-inclusive football program, and the Edu-Business Summit for member development.

Product overview

CONIFA (Confederation of Independent Football Associations) is a global non-profit football federation for associations outside FIFA. The organization operates as a portfolio of tournaments and programs rather than a traditional product company. Its core offerings include World Football Cup (global championship), continental tournaments (European Football Cup, Asia Cup, Africa Football Cup, North America Football Cup), and the Women World Football Cup. Supporting services include CONIFA TV streaming platform, CONIFA No Limits for disabled footballers, and the Edu-Business Summit for member development. The organization sanctions member leagues such as Liga de Balompié Mexicano and organizes Annual General Meetings for governance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CONIFA World Football Cup: The flagship global tournament for non-FIFA national teams
• CONIFA European Championship
• CONIFA Women World Football Cup
• CONIFA No Limits
• CONIFA TV

Products and services

• World Football Cup CONIFA's flagship global tournament featuring national teams not affiliated with FIFA, bringing together diverse teams representing nations, de-facto nations, regions, minority peoples, and sports-isolated territories. Held every two years since 2014.
• European Football Cup Continental championship for European member associations outside FIFA, featuring teams from regions such as Padania, Abkhazia, Székely Land, Northern Cyprus, and Occitania.
• Asia Cup Continental championship for Asian member associations, with teams representing regions like Tamil Eelam, Tibet, Panjab, Kurdistan, and East Turkistan.
• Africa Football Cup Continental championship for African member associations, featuring teams like Kabylia, Darfur United, Biafra FF, Yoruba Nation FF, and Matabeleland FF.
• Women World Football Cup International women's football tournament for CONIFA member associations, representing minorities and isolated regions globally. The 2024 edition was held in Bodø, Norway.
• CONIFA TV CONIFA's streaming platform powered by SportAll, providing free livestreaming of CONIFA events including World Football Cups, Continental Championships, and Women World Football Cup matches to fans worldwide.
• CONIFA No Limits Tournament program for disabled footballers, including the Mediterranean Futsal Cup and European No Limits events for inclusive football participation across member associations.
• North America Football Cup Continental championship and World Football Cup qualifier for North American and Caribbean member associations including Cascadia, ANBM, and ISCA.
• CONIFA Edu-Business Summit Educational summit designed to provide CONIFA member associations with best practices for football development and business operations.

Named customers11 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SoccerEx MENAminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 January 2025CONIFA entered as an Institutional Partner to all future SoccerEx events globally, providing a platform to meet stakeholders, federations, and fans from around the world.
• OneallsportscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2024Global partnership announced in September 2024 to empower independent football communities with sustainable innovation. Oneallsports will support CONIFA operations and member development.
• Pro Arena SportscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022South African company partnered with CONIFA Africa to host the inaugural CONIFA Africa Cup 2022 in Johannesburg. Led by CEO Tevin Blignaut, they provided tournament organization and local logistics.
• Bateman's (Sports) LtdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 21 May 2018Family-run business based in Stroud, England, operating since 1893. Official retail partner for 2018 Paddy Power World Football Cup, selling merchandise including polo shirts, hats, beanies, mugs and key-rings.
• MEI (Major Event International Ltd)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLondon-based Major Event International signed agreement to support CONIFA in the search for locations for future World Football Cups. They will host CONIFA at their 'Host & Federation Summit' in Lausanne.
• DRIBLcoreTechnology or IntegrationAustralian-based DRIBL platform handles event management, results, and match scheduling for CONIFA tournaments. Members are encouraged to use the platform for organizing tournaments.
• SportAllcoreTechnology or IntegrationFrench-based streaming platform provides free live streaming services for CONIFA matches and tournaments via CONIFATV.
• Paddy PowercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor for the 2018 World Football Cup held in London. Provided major branding and marketing support for the tournament.
• Sportsbet.iocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for CONIFA Sportsbet.io European Football Cup 2019 in Artsakh and subsequent events. Provided tournament sponsorship and PR support.
• Young Pioneer ToursminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial Tour Partner for CONIFA, providing travel and logistics support for teams and fans attending tournaments.
• Schiermacher OutfittersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerScandinavian-based company announced a three-year partnership with CONIFA, providing equipment and merchandise support.
• Boots2AfricaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership providing football boots to CONIFA member associations across Africa, supporting grassroots football development.
• EventimminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial ticketing partner for the 2018 World Football Cup, providing ticketing infrastructure and sales platform.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• FIFA: The global governing body of association football that CONIFA explicitly parallels and competes with by serving the population of teams and territories excluded from FIFA membership.
• UEFA: European football's regional governing body and confederation model that CONIFA mirrors at the continental level for non-FIFA European member associations such as Padania, Székely Land, and Northern Cyprus.
• CONMEBOL: South American football confederation that operates the regional tournament and member federation model CONIFA emulates for its South American members such as Aymara.
• Confederation of African Football: African continental football confederation whose structure CONIFA's Africa operations and Africa Cup emulate for non-FIFA African member associations.

Direct peers

• NF-Board: Nouvelle Fédération-Board is a competing umbrella organization for non-FIFA representative football teams, offering an alternative to CONIFA for unrecognized nations, regions, and stateless peoples seeking international competition.
• Special Olympics: Global sports organization serving populations traditionally excluded from mainstream competition; shares CONIFA's mission of providing athletic opportunity for underrepresented communities including through football programs.
• International Paralympic Committee: Global governing body for adaptive sport that directly parallels CONIFA's No Limits disability football program, both serving populations underserved by mainstream sports federations.

Others

• FIFPro: Global football players' union representing professional footballers worldwide; shares CONIFA's international federation structure and football-specific focus but represents players rather than member associations.

Emerging players

• World Lacrosse: International federation for a non-Olympic sport pursuing recognition and global expansion; comparable governance and event-organization model to CONIFA despite operating in a different sport.
• International Quidditch Association: International federation for a non-traditional sport with a comparable volunteer-led, member-association structure and grassroots global expansion model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CONIFAOfficial
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChx9YOtZqQpKQRrBGqdmMCg/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/ConIFA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conifaglobal
• Instagraminstagram.com/conifaofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CONIFA