Fatma Samoura was honored for her achievements as Secretary General at FIFA, with a focus on progress in women’s football and development initiatives. She pledged to continue her work against discrimination after resigning at the end of the year. She received the Choiseul Grand Prix award at a ceremony in Casablanca, Morocco for her contributions during her time as FIFA Secretary General.
Ms Samoura, the first female, African, and Muslim Secretary General in FIFA’s history, worked alongside President Gianni Infantino to improve FIFA’s image and increase transparency. She also advocated for women’s football, resulting in a significant increase in the number of female players. In her acceptance speech, she highlighted the success of the expanded FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and noted its impact on society as well as the women’s game.
Samoura has also worked on various development schemes, such as the FIFA Football for Schools program and the Talent Development Scheme. She has been involved in partnerships with organizations such as Agence Française de Développement and GIZ to support projects that mitigate the effects of Covid-19 and promote gender equality through football in Africa.
She plans to continue promoting social issues such as gender equality and education even after stepping down as FIFA Secretary General.