| FIFA Order of Merit | |
|---|---|
 The FIFA Order of Merit | |
| Awarded by FIFA | |
| Type | Order of merit |
| Eligibility | Any individual |
| Awarded for | "significant contribution to the development of association football" |
| Status | Active |
| Grades | 1 |
| Statistics | |
| First induction | 1984 |
| Last induction | 2012 |
| Total inductees | 121 |
The FIFA Order of Merit is the highest honour awarded by FIFA. The award is presented at the annual FIFA congress. It is normally awarded to people who are considered to have made a significant contribution to association football.
At FIFA's centennial congress they made one award for every decade of their existence. These awards were also handed out to fans, organisations, clubs, and one to African Football. These were referred to as the FIFA Centennial Order of Merit.
The winner does not have to be directly involved with football to receive it. One such notable non-footballing personality was Nelson Mandela who won it for bringing South Africa back to international football.