Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt has been elected as the British vice-president on the FIFA Council.
Hewitt, who became the FA’s first female chair in 2021, was chosen for the role on the global governing body’s most senior committee until 2027 at the UEFA Congress in Lisbon on Wednesday.
Hewitt secured 39 of the votes from UEFA’s 55 national associations to beat incumbent David Martin from Northern Ireland.
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She will be the first female FIFA vice-president and this is the first time a woman has beaten a man in a UEFA vote.
The news represents a major success for the FA, who lobbied hard for Hewitt’s appointment, while UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin had also backed her for the position, believing it was important for Europe to have an English voice on the FIFA Council.
“I am honoured to be appointed as a FIFA vice-president and sincerely thank European football associations for their support,” Hewitt said.
“My aim is to be a meaningful voice for UEFA in international debates as FIFA seeks to grow the game. I will work hard to promote good governance and transparency, and strengthen UEFA’s relations with FIFA.”
Lise Klaveness, the first woman to run against men for a place on UEFA Executive Committee, has meanwhile failed in her bid to secure a position with European football’s governing body.
Klaveness, head of the Norwegian Football Association, came to prominence in global football circles by standing up at last year’s congress in Doha to voice human rights concerns ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
She also wrote a letter to FIFA last month, calling for world football chiefs to clarify human rights responsibilities and potential remediation relating to the Qatar tournament.
Seven spots were available on UEFA’s Executive Committee but Klaveness received only 18 votes from a possible 55.
Rod Petrie from the Scottish Football Association had also sought election but, like Klaveness, failed to receive enough votes.
UEFA’s Committee comprises president Ceferin and 16 other members — including, UEFA rules say, “at least one female” — elected by its Congress, as well as two members elected by the European Club Association (ECA) and one member elected by European Leagues.
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Jesper Moller Christensen (Denmark), Luis Rubiales (Spain), Armand Duka (Albania) and Andrii Pavelko (Ukraine) were all re-elected on four-year-terms, while Philippe Diallo (France), Petr Fousek (Czech Republic) and Levan Kobiashvili (Georgia) were all voted onto the committee.
Laura McAllister from the Welsh FA has been appointed as a UEFA vice-president— UEFA’s first female vice-president — along with Italian FA president, Gabriele Gravina.
(Photo: Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
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