A new refereeing agreement has been reached between FIFA and Mexican and Ecuadorian football

The Mexican Football Association (FMF), the Ecuadorian Football Association (FEF), and FIFA inked a refereeing partnership agreement this week.

The program aims to promote technical information sharing between the associations as well as the implementation of strategic initiatives to improve officiating in Ecuadorian football.

'Initiatives like this one, which is founded on collaboration, are critical for the global evolution of the game,' FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated. 'This project exemplifies FIFA's vision of teamwork and camaraderie in the pursuit of a common goal: making football truly worldwide.'

Meanwhile, FMF President Yon de Luisa praised the agreement, saying, 'Any opportunity to advance.

The development of Mexican football is always causing celebration for the FMF; on this occasion, this will entail sharing and exchanging practices focused on improvement for the benefit of everyone involved.'

'There is so much to be gained from these types of synergies between associations – not just in refereeing but in many other areas as well,' FEF President Francisco Egas stated.

'FIFA's active involvement and contact between the project teams will be crucial in ensuring that this collaboration yields fruit,' he continued.

The parties will share their expertise and know-how under the terms of the agreement; in particular, the FEF will be granted access to the FMF's refereeing operations in order to discover methods and initiatives that may be adopted into its own work and activities.

FIFA-run capacity-building seminars and thematic workshops for referee instructors and heads of refereeing departments at both associations will give additional learning opportunities.

These will provide participants with actionable insights, which will help them apply best practices throughout the cooperation.

The FMF and FIFA will also support the FEF in developing a strategic strategy for long-term officiating development. This will pave the path for the best possible implementation of the video assistant referee system in Ecuador.

FIFA will also provide administrative and technical oversight to ensure that the various operations are efficiently managed, coordinated, and carried out.

The governing body of football in the world will also assess the refereeing landscape and related strategic objectives in both countries, allowing it to provide targeted insights as well as a big-picture perspective. In addition, its expertise will participate actively in the seminars and other activities planned.

This is the third such collaboration on critical facets of the football, and it will run until June 2022.