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National Association · Football · United Kingdom

The FA — The Football Association

The governing body of football in England, by its own description, formed in London on 26 October 1863; FIFA and UEFA list it as England’s member association, beside separate members for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
✓ Last reviewed: October 2026
Founded26 October 1863, at the Freemasons’ Tavern, London, as The FA states[5]
HeadquartersWembley Stadium, London; St George’s Park is its national football centre[4]
International federationFIFA, which lists it as England’s member association[2]
Continental bodyUEFA, member since 1954[1][3]
ChairDebbie Hewitt (as listed by UEFA, October 2026; FIFA’s directory lists her under “President”)[1][2]

What is The FA?

The Football Association (The FA) describes itself as the governing body of football in England.[4] It is the member association for England within the United Kingdom: UEFA lists England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as four separate members among its 55 national associations.[3] The FA’s own structure comprises a Board, a Council, committees, an executive management and the County FAs.[4]

What does The FA govern or do?

The FA selects the England national teams and runs the national football centre at St George’s Park.[1][4] It governs the game in England through the County FAs, whose governance it assesses against a code meant to ensure that they “offer the best possible service to the game at a local level”.[6] UEFA records that the Premier League was created in 1992, “breaking away from the football league”.[1]

When was The FA founded and where is it based?

The FA states that it was formed on 26 October 1863 at the Freemasons’ Tavern in Great Queen Street, London, when representatives of a dozen London and suburban clubs met “for the purpose of forming an Association with the object of establishing a definite code of rules for the regulation of the game”. Its rules were approved at the sixth meeting, on 8 December 1863.[5] UEFA gives the founding year as 1863.[1]

Its headquarters is Wembley Stadium.[4]

How is The FA recognised?

FIFA. FIFA’s directory of member associations lists The Football Association under the confederation UEFA, with thefa.com as its website.[2] The FA states that within two years of FIFA’s founding in 1904 it had “formally approved” the new body, later withdrew, and rejoined in 1946; UEFA gives its FIFA affiliation as 1906, renewed in 1946.[1][5]

UEFA. UEFA gives The FA’s affiliation as 1954 and lists England among its 55 member associations.[1][3]

What does The FA organise?

The FA lists the competitions it runs as the FA Cup, the Women’s FA Cup, the FA Trophy, the FA Vase, the FA Youth Cup, the Disability FA Cup, the FA Community Shield, the FA Sunday Cup, the FA Inter-League Cup and the FA Women’s National League.[4] It dates the FA Challenge Cup to a resolution of 20 July 1871.[5] UEFA records that Wanderers won the first final in 1872 and that Wembley hosted eight matches, including the final, at UEFA EURO 2020 in 2021.[1]

Who are its members?

The FA began with a dozen London and suburban clubs in 1863, among them Barnes, Blackheath, Crystal Palace and Charterhouse.[5] UEFA records that the membership grew from 12 clubs to 128 within a decade of the Challenge Cup’s founding in 1871.[1] Today The FA publishes contact details for the County Football Associations across England, which include the associations of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man, the Amateur Football Alliance and the Army, RAF and Royal Navy FAs.[6]

References

  1. UEFA — National associations: England (The FA profile and history). Accessed 2026-10-05.
  2. FIFA — Member associations: England. Accessed 2026-10-05.
  3. UEFA — National associations (list of 55 member associations). Accessed 2026-10-05.
  4. The FA — About The FA. Accessed 2026-10-05.
  5. The FA — History. Accessed 2026-10-05.
  6. The FA — County FAs. Accessed 2026-10-05.