If FIFA determines that a national federation is subject to government interference, it can impose disciplinary measures, the most serious being suspension from international football. A suspension means that the national team and all clubs within that country are barred from participating in FIFA and continental competitions, such as the World Cup or the AFC Champions League.
It also freezes all FIFA development funding and cuts the federation off from global football governance, effectively isolating it from the international community until independence is restored. FIFA’s enforcement of this rule has been consistent. Countries like Kuwait, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Pakistan have faced temporary suspensions in the past due to government interference in their football federations. In each case, FIFA lifted the ban only after the affected nation restored the independence of its football association and demonstrated compliance with FIFA’s statutes.
