The Union of European Football Associations has announced that the 51st UEFA Congress, at which a new president and members of the organization’s Executive Committee will be elected, will take place on March 4, 2027, in Astana.
The decision was announced at the 50th anniversary UEFA Congress in Brussels. Kazakhstan was represented at the event by David Loria, Secretary General of the Kazakhstan Football Federation (KFF). The KFF confirmed the selection of the Kazakh capital as the venue for the next congress.
UEFA brings together 55 national football associations and is responsible for organizing major international tournaments for clubs and national teams, as well as distributing revenue from media rights and sponsorship contracts. Kazakhstan has been a UEFA member since 2002, despite its geographical location in Central Asia.
The UEFA Congress is the highest governing body of European football. It convenes annually and brings together representatives of all national associations. The congress approves strategic, financial, and organizational decisions and elects the organization’s leadership.
The 2027 Congress will be an electoral session, with delegates set to elect the UEFA president and the new composition of the Executive Committee. UEFA is currently headed by Aleksander Čeferin, who has held the position since 2016 and was re-elected for another term in 2023.
According to the KFF, the right to host the Congress is granted to member associations as a sign of institutional trust and recognition of their contribution to the development of football. The federation stated that the event will be the largest international football business gathering ever held in Kazakhstan and will strengthen the country’s position within the European football community.
UEFA will finance the organization of the Congress. No funding from Kazakhstan’s state budget is envisaged.
The Times of Central Asia previously reported that the Almaty-based club FC Kairat reached the main stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in its history.
